I don't think her bounce will last through any debates though, where her inexperience ought to shine through like a beacon.  And as the better orator and quicker thinker, I would guess that Obama will come off well in that format too. 

Does anyone think that if the race were Palin-Obama, she'd be anywhere near the lead? 

It's no surprise that McCain has some better poll numbers after the recent media blitz, but the more Palin moves to shore up the religious right, the further she'll expose McCain to the center.  The center will clearly move away from "business as usual" due to the economy.  Have you looked at your 401k this month?

David's e-mail pretty succinctly put it out there, and I foresee more people looking at it that way, but only after the newness of Palin (who is a really interesting story) passes. 

Some of the coverage of Palin and her husband smack of elitism.  That is, that it assumes the intellectual (and even moral!) superiority of those who live in the big cities of the lower 48.  This isn't anything new.  Anyone who grew up in a small town or rural area can describe this phenomenon and the incredible resentment it breeds. 

That said, it's a legitimate question to ask if any of the candidates have the requisite experience to lead, and Palin's work in Alaska doesn't exactly inspire confidence.  The Democrats would do well to think long and hard about how to work on Palin's issues without condescending.  One way would be to stop talking about her at all and make all comments focused on Obama and McCain.  After all, that IS the real story, isn't it?