The surveys seem to exist solely to advance GOP talking points. Meaning, Rasmussen at times appears to function less as a legitimate polling firm and more as the polling wing of the RNC. Today's new survey about Sarah Palin and the repercussions of her “No mas” moment is a perfectly example.

I have not problem with the actual results per se, which are that 40 percent of Republicans think her quitting the Alaska governorship will hurt her chances to run for the White House in 2012. The bizarre part is that the Rasmussen poll only asks Republican voters their opinion about Palin. Independents and Democrats are of no interest to the GOP-centric Rasmussen. (Just my hunch, but if those two voter groups had been included, I'm guessing the final results would have between 70-80 percent of voters think Palin's career move was a bad one.)

What kind of polling firm, while trying to take the country's temperature about politics, only questions Republicans?

Meanwhile, in its write-up Rasmussen emphasized the RNC talking points about how Palin has been subjected to “relentless and generally hostile media coverage.” (So the polling firm is now in the media criticism business?) Yet Rasmussen only points to a late-night comedian for proof of “hostile media coverage.”

Anyone interested in authentic polling data on Palin can wait for the new Gallup numbers this afternoon.