Republican Enthusiasm Erupts as Democratic-Left Implodes

Gallup reports that Republicans are energized and enthusiastic on the heels of the party's rousing convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. The John McCain/Sarah Palin ticket has pulled in front of Barack Obama/Joseph Biden 50 to 46 percent in the presidential horse race:

The convention and/or McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate not only had the effect of moving the horserace needle in McCain's direction, but also increased several measures of enthusiasm for the GOP.

There has been a very substantial jump in the percentage of Republicans saying they are more enthusiastic about voting in this election, from 42% a week ago (after the Democratic convention, but before the Republican convention) to 60% today. Democrats still retain a slight lead on this measure, having increased their enthusiasm slightly this last week as well. But the enthusiasm gap, which has been so much a part of the story of the presidential election so far this year, has dwindled from 19 points in the Democrats' favor a week ago to only seven points today.

USA Today reported last night on the GOP bounce in the polls, and the paper's got a new piece this morning confirming the Republican enthusiasm: "Convention Rejuvenates GOP."

Even more interesting, which for the Democrats will be like kicking a man while he's down, is the news that NBC executives have dropped Keith Olbermann as anchor for the network's prime-time election newscasts.

It's hard to ignore the devastating psychological impact of the concatentantion of forces that has pummeled the American political left this last week and a half: McCain's selection of Sarah Palin has thown the left into fits of apoplexy. The Republicans are more fired up than they've been since Ronald Reagan was in office, and now the icon of the mass-media's combative left-wing voice on cable news - Olbermann - has been repudiated by his own network as beyond the pale of acceptable prime-time political discourse.

Texas Rainmaker quips that just like McCain announced in his acceptance speech last week, "change is coming" to Washington, and it's "apparently it’s starting with MSNBC."

Just a little over a month ago the political system will still agog over Obamania. Now the most we hear about "The One" is following an interview slip where some have suggested the Illinois Senator acknowledged his "Muslim faith."