Another poll — this one from Marist — proves an earlier point we’ve made here. New York’s new Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand is in an enviable position for a newbie.

Marist asked New York voters if they thought she was the right choice — remember this is after voters were led to believe top-shelf names like Caroline Kennedy or maybe Andrew Cuomo would get the nod. Marist says 46% say ‘yes’ to 24% who say ‘no.’ Note that 30% are ‘unsure.’

Next the poll asked about her favorability — 41% like her, 11% don’t, and 48% are either unsure or didn’t know who she was. Then there’s the hypothetical match-ups — she easily beats another relative unknown, Long Island Republican Congressman Peter King but ties former Governor George Pataki.

What all this shows is that Gillibrand is effectively a new product the public isn’t very familiar with. Any new politician would love these numbers provided they have the time and money to turn those “unsure/unfamiliars” into “I like Kirstens” and that is something she has.

Gillibrand raised more than $4 million bucks for her House race in November (and beat a Republican who spent $7 million in the most Republican district in NYS) and will hold the seat for a full year before any campaign really begins. Plus she’s got Chuck “King of All Fundraising” Schumer on her side.

Some Democrats have been going on and on about Gillibrand’s big problems with the liberal base of primary voters she would have to win if some Dem chose to challenge her. While that’s incredibly unlikely ( “Keep Your Skeptical Eye on the Ball”), the Marist Poll provides a pretty strong reason to believe she’s better set with the base than ambitious/jealous Dems like to admit.

Her supposed Achilles Heal is her Poster Girl status with the National Rifle Association. Bad news to largely urban downstate liberal anti-gun voters, no? No, says Marist. They asked if Gillibrand’s support from the NRA would dissuade them from voting for her. Statewide 51% of Dems said it wouldn’t make a difference while 35% said it would make them “less likely” to support her. What really stands out though is how New York City Dems answered — 52% said it would make no difference while just 32% said they would be less likely to vote for her.

Gillibrand’s main problem is not with urban liberal Dems but with suburban voters who are the most negative about her. When suburbanites were asked if she was the right choice they split 36% yes, 35% no, and 29% undecided. To be sure suburban voters — especially women — could be the key in 2010 as they were in Hillary Clinton’s first Senate race.

Clinton didn’t cement their support until Rick Lazio reached across the lectern in their infamous Buffalo debate and yelled “sign this, sign this!” at her as he shoved a piece of paper into her face. Gillibrand is unlikely to get that kind of gift but if she wants to know where to start her “listening tour” she could do worse than someplace out in Nassau County.