"In the new poll, taken Friday through Sunday, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44% among those seen as most likely to vote." -- USA Today, today.

Forget "Sarah Barracuda."  In a year when voters are 15-20 percent more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans, Gov. Palin has launched the GOP ticket to a 10 point lead among likely voters in the latest Gallup/USA Today survey.  Amazing?  Astonishing? 

No, it's much, much bigger than that.  Just 10 days ago, it was unimaginable.

Who knows how long the Palin Effect will last?  She's scheduled to do a series of interviews with Charlie Gibson that will air on Thursday, 9/11, the same day her oldest son ships out to Iraq. (The McCain people are stinkin' GENIUSES!)  She's got 57 days of potential gaffes and goof-ups ahead.  There's the big debate with the Democrats VP choice, Sen. What's-His-Name.  I still say she's a hand grenade.

But so far Gov. Palin has been nothing but good news for her party.  Hurricane Sarah has already claimed two media lives (Olbermann and Matthews).  She's turned the 2008 election into an Obama vs. Palin debate, and that can't be good for the Democrats.  She's closed the enthusiasm gap on the Right, thrown the Obama team off its game, and outed the hypocrites of the so-called "feminist" Left.

I can't wait to hear Hillary on the stump this week.  "Don't vote for that mother who ran her own business, took on the incumbent good ol' boys of her own party and fought her way to the governor's mansion on her own.  Vote for a real feminist like me, Mrs. Bill Clinton!"

Like the man said, "It don't get no better'n this."