HispanicBusiness

As the U.S. Senate begins to ruminate on whether to confirm President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, it appears the scales of public opinion are thus far tipped in her favor.

A new Gallup poll finds that the number of Americans who view Sotomayor favorably significantly exceeds that of those who view her negatively.

The poll could further heighten the reluctance of Republicans to block the appointment of the nation's first Hispanic high court nominee out of fear that doing so would pose grave political risks.

In the poll, whose results were released today, 47 percent of the respondents rated the nomination as "excellent" or "good," and 33 percent rated it as "only fair" or "poor."

The results are based on a one-night poll taken the same day Obama made the announcement.

In comparison to similar polls taken of the three nominees before her -- all made by former President George W. Bush -- Sotomayor's ratings fare better than two. Less popular were current Justice Samuel Alito, who is generally considered conservative, and Harriet Miers, who withdrew her nomination in the face of stiff opposition.

Rating highest of the four was current Chief Justice John Roberts, who, at the time of his nomination, was generally considered to be a legal "constructionist," meaning his judicial philosophy is based less on political beliefs than on strict interpretation of existing law. (This week's New Yorker magazine includes a piece saying his decisions during his first four years on the bench have thus far reflected Republican ideology.)

Of the four nominees, the gender gap was widest for Sotomayor, who so far has played most favorably among women. Fifty-four percent viewed her positively, compared to 42 percent of men. By comparison, there was virtually no gender gap for Miers or Roberts.

Also, respondents generally thought that Sotomayor's intellectual credentials and experience factored heavier in Obama's decision than her ethnicity or gender.

Sixty-one percent believe he heavily valued her experience as a federal judge; 59 percent believe he heavily valued her intellect; 52 percent, her views and judicial record; 39 percent, her gender; and 34 percent, her ethnicity.