Palin was a gamechanger before she turned out to be an idiot. McCain surged into a dead-heat and she was very well-received at first.
Not just a dead-heat, but a lead. McCain was winning in every national poll on the day that the financial crisis broke. Much of that was probably a post-convention boost. Although the announcement of Palin on the ticket certainly helped.
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On paper, Palin was a great running mate for McCain, because she checked the boxes he was missing and shared a maverick streak and bipartisan credentials.
Since when does Palin have "bipartisan credentials?"
Poll
