Simply Put, McCain Needs A Clear-Cut Better Performance Than Obama Tonight to Remain Viable

     The McCain campaign is in trouble. The economy's woes have hit his efforts badly -- as voters have simply revolted against anything that reminds them of the incumbent -- and his impulsive behavior over the past week, while it can be defended, could well raise the question in many voters' minds whether McCain even has the right temperament to be president. Simply put, in a crisis Barack Obama has been far more presidential.

     What's just as bad is that Sarah Palin is doing him no favors on the stump -- so much so that conservative columnist Kathleen Parker today asked for her to resign for the good of the ticket.

     So McCain must be more than the equal of Obama tonight to get his campaign back on track. Then Palin must do the same on Thursday. Otherwise, McCain is looking at a campaign that could well be lost with a month to go before Election Day.