From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage --

Hays Research today released Alaska poll numbers on Gov. Sean Parnell and Sarah Palin, showing Parnell with an enviable 72 percent positive rating and Palin at 55 percent positive.

The numbers are from a statewide poll the Anchorage firm took on Nov. 20-21. Hays surveyed 400 adults, which is the sample size it's consistently used for Palin and other public figures.

Palin's 55 percent positive rating is obviously way down from the stratospheric numbers she enjoyed early as governor. But it represents a rise from her 46.8 percent in the last Hays poll on Palin. That poll was taken at the end of July, right after Palin resigned from office and Parnell became governor.

Twenty-six percent of those surveyed in the Nov. 20-21 Hays poll felt “very positive” about Parnell and 46 percent said “somewhat positive.”

Not surprisingly, people felt far stronger about Palin than Parnell. Thirty-four percent felt very positive toward the former governor and 21 percent somewhat positive. But her “very negative” rating was 29 percent (compared to Parnell’s 4 percent) and somewhat negative was 12 percent.

Fifteen percent of those polled didn’t know how they felt about Parnell; 4 percent didn’t know on Palin. Hays gives a margin of error for the poll of 4.87 percent.