Poll Daze

The conventional wisdom seems to be that each presidential candidate's reaction to the country's economic collapse was the key moment in the campaign when Barack Obama surged ahead. I've harbored suspicions myself that it was less the economic situation than the collective weight of attacks - some justified, some not - on Sarah Palin that cast doubt on the Republican ticket. Looking at this poll graphic by Pollster.com, John McCain seems to have actually inched ahead on or about Sept. 10. After that, it was all over.

Just what happened on Sept. 10 and the days to follow? I went back and took a look. Here are representative headlines from around the country at that time.

Sept. 10

"Lehman's Troubles Rattle The Market" (Boston Globe)

"Palin Outshines Biden in Favorability" (Boston Globe)

Sept. 11

"Palin's Parenting Is Fair Game In Politics" (Detroit News)

"Dems Just Don't Get It As Palin Pounds 'Em" (NY Daily News)

Sept. 12

"Poll: McCain Gaining On Obama" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

"A Hockey Mom Gives GOP A Lift By Erasing Its History On Working Women" (Ellen Goodman)

Sept. 13

"Lower Rates Don't Guarantee Homeowners Can Refinance" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

"Florida May Be Falling From Obama's Grasp" (St. Petersburg Times)

Sept. 14

"Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes" (New York Times)

"A Once-Promising Campaign Has Degenerated Into Harsh Rhetoric And Attack Ads" (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Sept. 15

"Big Banks Pool $70 Billion To Head Off Global Panic" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"Fey Out-Palined Palin on 'SNL'" (Chicago Tribune)

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