End Of The Beginning

When all's said and done, will we look back at this week as the one that defined the rest of the campaign and gave Obama an insurmountable advantage? Or will we once again be fooled into thinking that this is the last twist in what's already been the curviest road to the WH we've ever seen?

--If 9/29's stock market plunge didn't spook GOPers, McCain's drop in the polls and the growing generic ballot gap should. As angry as voters may be with a Wall Street bailout, they're even more frustrated with the nation's gloomy economic outlook. The longer this legislation stays front and center, the more likely that the GOP gets the blame.

--It's not just the economy dragging McCain down. His running mate isn't helping much either. 52% of voters, including 48% of indies, think Palin's unprepared to be POTUS. Anyone else think we'll see Palin talk more about Joe six-pack and less about Putin 10/2?

--Can McCain try another game changer? Sure. But will voters take it seriously is the question. There are signs that he's already losing some of his vaunted goodwill. For the first time in Diageo/Hotline polling, McCain's fav's dropped under 50% and his unfav is up to 44%. If he goes on the attack, he has to make sure that it sticks. If not, he may not be able to recover from the backlash.