Fallout Uh-Bama

Polls don't mean much right now, unless there happens to be a wide gap between candidates. But it is significant to note that McCain has pulled ahead in the Reuters/Zogby for the first time.

In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

The reason for this turnaround, as stated by Reuters:

The reversal follows a month of attacks by McCain, who has questioned Obama's experience, criticized his opposition to most new offshore oil drilling and mocked his overseas trip.

The poll was taken Thursday through Saturday as Obama wrapped up a weeklong vacation in Hawaii that ceded the political spotlight to McCain, who seized on Russia's invasion of Georgia to emphasize his foreign policy views.

"There is no doubt the campaign to discredit Obama is paying off for McCain right now," pollster John Zogby said. "This is a significant ebb for Obama."

That's what Obama supporters want you to believe.

The truth is, many people got their first real look at him last weekend, at Saddleback. There, he had no teleporompters, no cheering fans, no well-written speeches. Polls usually run a week behind an event and despite what the media wants to say, this is the fallout from his poor performance.