Leftwing Blogosphere Panics Over New USA Today/Gallup Poll

It wasn't that long ago that the left considered this November's election a mere formality on the road to Barack Obama's coronation as president. They loved posting poll after poll showing Obama winning by huge margins. Oh, how they gloated about the massive loss John McCain was sure to suffer. Well, the polls have changed and now the latest USA Today/Gallup poll shows quite a different result:

WASHINGTON — The Republican National Convention has given John McCain and his party a significant boost, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken over the weekend shows, as running mate Sarah Palin helps close an "enthusiasm gap" that has dogged the GOP all year.

McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican's biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points.

The convention bounce has helped not only McCain but also attitudes toward Republican congressional candidates and the GOP in general.

"The Republicans had a very successful convention and, at least initially, the selection of Sarah Palin has made a big difference," says political scientist Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia. "He's in a far better position than his people imagined he would be in at this point."

Even more significant is McCain's jump among likely voters:

In the new poll, taken Friday through Sunday, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44% among those seen as most likely to vote. The survey of 1,022 adults, including 959 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/— 3 points for both samples.

Of course, this poll result has caused widespread panic in the leftwing blogosphere. Gone is their previous confidence which has been replaced by depression and despair as you can see at the Democratic Underground and the Daily Kos. First a sampling of the anguish and anger at DU:

McCain got an 17 pt bounce??? obama was up 7- now mac is up 10. that's an 17 point bounce!? 

Specifically, we need to arm ourselves with all the information we can get regardless of if it is nasty or not. You never know what will turn a person you are trying to convince. I'm not saying to encourage things we know are not true, but we need to know these people who want to run our country inside and out. And personal lives are the true windows into what a person believes. Anyone can say whatever they want, but when you look at how they live that is the only truth there is. We cannot make anything out of bounds. That is what makes me pissed off...people who say "we're too good for that". BAH!

i am in a state of despair

UGH! She is the story now. We need to be taking her down with everyone we know.

Not to be outdone by the DUers, the Daily Kos Kossacks have also reacted to Obama's change of fortune with some unintentionally funny comments:

I think things are bleak for Obama. He's not a great debater and John Kerry actually was quite good. His media campaign sucks. 

Axelrod should hang his head in Shame. Never have we had such an incompetent "strategist". 

I think I'm going to cry. I know that's not helpful in any way. I should probably just keep it to myself. But 10 POINTS!!!! Oh dear. I wish the debates were sooner. The first one is 20 days away.

I want to scream! What is wrong with all of these stupid idiots! Do people really want four more years of the same bullsh--!!!! When will they learn? When our nation is in ruins?

You can find even more hilarious examples of this leftwing plunge into despair at the DUmmie FUnnies.