Posted on 09/07/2008 6:13:58 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Sarah Palin's explosive debut at the Republican convention has helped John McCain surge ahead of Barack Obama in the race for the White House.
One leading poll put Mr McCain nearly 4 per cent ahead - just days after trailing his Democrat rival by as many as eight points.
It is the first time the 72-year-old Arizona senator has held a significant lead since early May.
Pundits and pollsters put the comeback down to 'the Palin effect'.
They claimed the Republican vice-presidential candidate's punchy convention speech deserved much of the credit for helping Mr McCain bounce back.
Her selection as running mate so captivated America that despite a programme truncated by Hurricane Gustav, the Republicans won the highest TV ratings ever for a U.S. political convention.
According to the Zogby survey, the McCain/Palin ticket now holds a 49.7 per cent to 45.9 per cent lead over Mr Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden.
Pollster John Zogby said: 'Clearly, Palin is helping the McCain ticket. She has high favourability numbers, and has unified the Republican Party.'
Only a week ago, nearly a quarter of those surveyed said they didn't know enough about the 44-year-old Alaska governor to have an opinion about her.
That figure has now dropped to 4 per cent.
The daily Gallup poll, which had Mr Obama eight points ahead as recently as the end of last week, now says the difference between the candidates is too close to call.
A senior political strategist said: 'The choice of Sarah Palin may well turn out to be a masterstroke for McCain. She has given the party the energy it was lacking before last week.'
The bounce in popularity comes despite a rollercoaster week for Mrs Palin when she admitted her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant and battled gossip over her marriage.
Her Right-wing views are said to have reached Republicans who were lukewarm about Mr McCain's more moderate conservatism.
It’s almost unbeleivable.
I think McCains heartfelt speech had every bit as much to do with this surge. Together they blew Obama out of the water swiftboat style!!
Conservatives...Rally on Palin!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Her Right-wing views are said to have reached Republicans who were lukewarm about Mr McCain’s more moderate conservatism.”
Damn straight!!!!
WHEN will the Republican leadership wise up about who their base really IS???
And a hearty thank you to those useful idiots in the MSM press.
Well.....Duh!
Earlier today A friend of mine who is 91 years young let the cat out of the bag. She said that John and Sarah will not lose! Having voted democrat all of her life she announced that she would be voting for Sarah Palin and John McCain.
Gallup Poll today gives McCain 54%, Obama 44%!
it is 100% a “conservative effect”
The use of the phrase “palin effect” is just to diminish the fact that it is the Conservatives coalescing that has save McCain's RINO posterior.
It’s a step in the right direction. Let’s call this the “September Surprise” and keep up the pressure to the end. This will redouble the Left’s efforts. We need to therefore quadruple ours.
But good news worth celebrating tonight at least.
I LOVE YOU Sarah Palin!!!
McCain should thank his lucky stars that it was Governor Palin who was giving that speech because...
Palin Overcame Teleprompter Problems, Missing Hard Copies
The Alaska governor overcame several glitches and technical problems to deliver her speech without getting flustered, impressing McCain and his staff and allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief.
Foremost of the obstacles, Palin’s teleprompter was not working properly. When she took the podium, the machine rolled so quickly, it often skipped the first line or two of every paragraph on screen. The operator said he had new equipment and wasn’t sure how it would work.
However, Palin also went on stage with a slightly outdated hard copy of her speech. For various unexplained reasons, she and her closest advisers had an old draft on hand, and even had a hard time furnishing one of those for her to use. Several of the drafts were scribbled on, so one aide gave Palin a wrinkled, folded copy out of his pocket.
Officials said Palin responded in mom-like fashion, concluding, “Well, I suppose I could put a book on it and smooth it out a little. “
During one part of her speech, she couldn’t see the teleprompter because signs were blocking it. That was when she ad-libbed a line about the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull — “lipstick.”
Let the landslide begin!
I think O’s internals are even worse.
Which reminds me of something I heard last week someone was speculating that the Obama campaign was going to (most regretably) have to replace Biden who will be unabable to fulfill his role as vp nominee, due to circumstances beyond his control. Obama will then have to turn to his faithful friend and esteemed collegue in the Senate, Hillery, to step in for Biden.
Brilliant!
I hear a new Gallup Poll has McCain up by 10! (54-44) among likely voters.
Amazing.
I always hear people refer to internals but what are they and how does internal polling differ from say Gallup polling?
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