Wall Street is reportedly reassured by President-elect Obama’s choice of Timothy Geithner to be secretary of the Treasury, but right now 53% of U.S. voters don’t know enough about him to have an opinion about him one way or the other.

Thirty-one percent (31%) regard the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York favorably, while 16% have an unfavorable opinion of him, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of Democrats have a favorable view of Geithner, compared to 24% of Republicans and 29% of unaffiliated voters. Twenty-four percent (24%) of Republicans also have an unfavorable opinion of him, as do 15% of unaffiliated voters and 10% of Democrats.

Virtually identical numbers of Republicans (52%) and Democrats (51%) say they have no opinion of Geithner, along with 56% of unaffiliated voters. Forty-five percent (45%) of men and 59% of women aren’t sure what they think of the next Treasury secretary.

Just 26% of U.S. adults are at least somewhat confident that U.S. policymakers know what they are doing when it comes to addressing the nation’s current economic problems anyway. But Geithner’s not alone. With the exception of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the New York senator and former first lady who is Obama’s choice for secretary of State, none of those announced thus far as major players in the new presidential administration are particularly well-known to voters.

Obama has a +21 rating in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Approval Index.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) have a favorable opinion of Clinton, who battled Obama through the Democratic primaries for the party’s presidential nomination. That includes 34% who say their view of her is Very Favorable.

Forty-one percent regard the former First Lady unfavorably, with 25% saying their opinion of her is Very Unfavorable. Just three percent (3%), however, are undecided.

Voters are more evenly divided on Obama’s White House chief of staff, Congressman Rahm Emmanuel from Chicago. Thirty-six percent view him favorably, including 16% Very Favorable, and 32% see him unfavorably, with 20% Very Unfavorable. But 32% aren’t sure.

Emmanuel, a senior advisor in the Clinton White House, is regarded as ruthlessly partisan which helps to explain why 37% of Republicans have a Very Unfavorable view of him, compared to six percent (6%) of Democrats and 19% of unaffiliated voters. Fifteen percent (15%) of Republicans have a favorable opinion of Emmanuel versus 56% of Democrats and 32% of unaffiliateds.

Interestingly, only 28% of GOP voters aren’t sure what their opinion of Emmanuel is versus 33% of Democrats – and 36% of unaffiliated voters.

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In a survey last week, 70% of voters said Obama should appoint more new people to his Cabinet as opposed to including more people who served in the Clinton administration.

But as Emmanuel’s numbers show, even prior service in Washington is no guarantee that voters are familiar with the individual’s work.

Lawrence Summers, Treasury secretary in the closing days of Bill Clinton’s presidency and now slated to be a top Obama economic advisor, is viewed favorably by 23% percent, unfavorably by 18%. Fifty-nine percent (59%) aren’t sure what they think of Summers.

The same goes for Tom Daschle, who was a U.S. senator from South Dakota for 18 years, 10 of which he spent as leader of the Senate Democrats. Now he is set to be Obama’s secretary of Health and Human Services, but 23% of voters still are undecided what their opinion of him is.

Daschle is regarded favorably by 39% and unfavorably by 37%.

Similarly, Paul Volcker, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board from 1979 to 1987, continues to be one of Obama’s highest-profile economic advisors. He is seen favorably by 32% of voters and unfavorably by 21%. Nearly half (47%) aren’t sure what they think of Volcker.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano will be the new secretary of Homeland Security if approved by the Senate. Thirty percent (30%) have a favorable view of her, while 25% regard her unfavorably. Forty-three percent (43%) are undecided.

Even currently being in the job is no guarantee that voters have a fix on a Cabinet member’s performance. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, named to the post by President Bush in December 2006, is heavily favored to be held over into the Obama Cabinet. Forty-four percent (44%) have a favorable opinion of Gates, while 21% have an unfavorable view. Thirty-five percent (35%) aren’t sure.

Republicans regard Gates slightly more favorably - and slightly more unfavorably – than Democrats. Unaffiliated voters have the highest opinion of Gates.

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