TRACKERS

Posted at 1:37 p.m. ET

Both our standard trackers are now out, and both show exactly the same result as yesterday.  Rasmussen - McCain up three.  Gallup - McCain up two.  The Hotline tracker has not yet been published.

We're now 10 days out from the GOP convention, and McCain's lead, although small, still holds.  The press attempts to destroy Palin, lead by The New York Times, haven't worked, but the McCain campaign must be on guard against foolish mistakes, exaggerations or misstatements that feed the Palin-hating beast.  (Palin said that Alaska provides 20 percent of the nation's energy.  That turns out to be way off, but she may have meant it in a different context.  Once challenged, she's got to explain.  Don't leave questions out there.)

While the momentum was with McCain coming out of his convention, that momentum has now stopped, and we're settling into the familiar pattern of a close race, although now it's McCain holding the edge.  This can still go either way, and an unpredictable event can throw out all current figures.

September 14, 2008.