Can McCain save the GOP Branch?

Republican hopes that John McCain could salvage the White House got a jolt this week with the latest Quinnipiac Swing State polls showing Barack Obama ahead by double digits in Pennsylvania, comfortably leading in Ohio and edging out McCain in Florida. All three are key states for November that Obama lost to Clinton in the primaries, suggesting there could be some tectonic forces at play, and any Democrat (even Obama, or especially Obama) is positioned to bring home a substantial victory. If these numbers persist, McCain may have already peaked. His behavior this week suggests a certain amount of desperation. Why would he choose Houston, ground zero of the oil industry, to announce his support for offshore drilling, which he had previously opposed? A roomful of cheering oil executives is not the best advertisement. What's next, a photo-op on Wall Street next to Exxon's second-quarter earnings?