More voters are convinced after four days of convention-watching that Senator Joseph Biden was the right pick as Barack Obama’s running mate, but nearly a quarter still aren’t sure.

Forty-seven percent (47%) now say the senator from Delaware was the correct choice to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken Thursday night. Last Saturday, right after Obama announced his choice, only 39% felt that way.

But Biden’s negatives have gone up slightly, too. On Saturday, 25% of voters felt he was a bad choice. Now 29% think Obama picked the wrong person. Twenty-three percent (23%) still haven’t made up their minds, compared to 35% on Saturday.

While just over half of Democrats (52%) thought Biden was a good choice last Saturday, 63% feel that way now. Nineteen percent (19%) didn’t like the choice at the time and the identical number still feel that way. But the 29% who were unsure initially are now down to 18%, all having moved into the positive column following the week’s events including Biden’s speech to his fellow Democrats Thursday night.

Nearly half of voters (49%) also now think Biden is ready to be president if necessary. Only 39% believed that six days ago. On Saturday, 35% said he was not ready and 26% were undecided. Now 30% feel he is not ready to be president and 22% are unsure.

Perhaps most significantly for Democrats, Biden’s support among women voters has improved dramatically. The party has been concerned that women might desert it over Hillary Clinton’s failure to win the presidential nomination -- and Obama’s subsequent decision not to even consider her as a running mate.

Yet while only 33% of women voters believed Biden was a good choice last Saturday, 49% support him now. Twenty-three percent (23%) don’t like the choice versus 27% a few days ago. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of female voters remain undecided compared to 40% on Saturday.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of voters – and 72% of Democrats – believe that Bill Clinton’s speech to the Democratic convention Wednesday night helps Obama’s chances of election. Only 7% of voters feel it hurt his chances, and 34% say it will have no impact.

Voters are a bit more divided on whether the former president wants to see Obama win the White House. Forty-two percent (42%) say he does, but 33% don’t agree. Unffiliated voters are even more dubious, with 38% saying Clinton wants Obama to win and 31% saying he doesn’t.

Democrats by a 63% to 15% margin think Clinton is as supportive of Obama as his speech Wednesday night indicated. But 22% are undecided.

The convention in Denver continued to draw close attention from voters, even prior to Obama’s acceptance speech. Seventy-six percent (76%) say they have been following news stories about the convention at least somewhat closely, including 41% who say Very Closely. This is nearly identical to the number of those following the convention earlier in the week.

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