John McCain has erased Barack Obama's lead, transforming the presidential race to a statistical dead heat, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Obama's lead among women dropped from 10 to 4 points since August, which is largely attributed to Sarah Palin's popularity, reports MSNBC.
“This is kind of the political equivalent of the tortoise and the hare,” said a Republican pollster. “McCain continues to gain as we get closer to Election Day. The Palin factor is remarkable.” The poll is the most recent in a number of surveys finding support for Obama eroding and the candidates running neck-and-neck. (More Barack Obama stories.)