Popularity

The Research 2000 tracker, the one the Great Orange Satan helps underwrite -- but not alter -- has the favorability ratings as thus: (note Obama's up 52-40 in the voting preference)

Favorable/Unfavorable
CANDIDATE FAV UNFAV NO OPINION
MCCAIN......... 40...... 51.......... 9
OBAMA ...........59..... 33.......... 8
BIDEN .............57 .....30......... 13
PALIN .............37..... 55......... 8

And this is just before the "Troopergate" report finding of "abuse of power". I think after five weeks we can conclude one thing pretty clearly. Palin is a boat anchor that is taking McCain down with her. She's negative 20 in yesterday's polling. If he had nominated Tim Pawlenty or Mitt Romney, there's little doubt he would not have gotten the sizeable initial bump he received. But by now, she's sinking him in a way those safe, vetted, and dull choices would never have. His erractic and risk taking nature has sealed his doom.

But one other thing, the desperate backtracking yesterday after spending a week slandering Obama and implying the race card, especially through Palin, shows just what McCain got for the bargain. A running mate that excites the base, well the worst of it, in the worst way -- to the point he had to slap it in the face yesterday. They never liked him, now by encouraging them to go full ape-shit and then scolding them for it, he's truly fucked.

And he walked right into it. And now look at him.