The Sarah Effect - Sunday's Rasmussen Track Has the Race Tied

Showing continued momentum for the GOP, the Sunday am Rasmussen track has the race now tied.  This post from yesterday has a more detailed look at how the race is changing - among the most interesting findings is the GOP surge with women post-Palin. 

The SF Chronicle has an interesting piece today on the resurgent GOP.  It includes this passage: 

"Sarah Palin is driving the presidential election right now," said Simon Rosenberg, who heads NDN, a Washington-based moderate Democratic advocacy group. "The McCain campaign is no longer in charge of their own campaign. They've hitched their ticket to a media superstar, and she could be the key to their victory - or the thing that takes them down. She could be a rocket ship or a train wreck."

Earlier this week I offered up this initial take on the arrival of Sarah Palin on the national stage, and these thoughts on what her inadequate vetting says about John McCain.

There can be no doubt now that the Republicans had a very good week, and emerged from Minnesota a very different Party than they went in.  How Palin fares will be critical to the fall election, and given how litttle we know about her expect the media to spend the month before the VP debate trying to help fill in the blanks.  It is something the Democrats will need to do as well. 

Update, 1pm - Gallup now has McCain ahead, 48-45.  I think this is the strongest showing for McCain in this poll all year.