The continuing financial crisis and doubts about Sarah Palin's qualifications have combined to make this the week from hell for John McCain and the national polls.

Rasmussen still has McCain trailing by 6 in his daily tracking poll. I suppose we can thank God for small favors because he hasn't lost any ground in the last 5 days.

But the new Quinnipiac state polls are out and the show Obama pulling ahead in Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania - three states that most electoral college watchers believe McCain absolutely must have to win the presidency.

And Pew Research has Obama up 7 nationally with McCain losing badly to his rival in leadership and in which candidate could handle the economy best.

As long as the economy remains front and center, John McCain will continue to slide. It doesn't matter who or how the financial crisis came about because the public is buying in to the media-Democratic spin that it is all the GOP's fault. And on this issue, McCain seems to be tied to the fortunes of the GOP.

There is still time for a comeback. There are three debates left and Obama might slip. But at the moment, you would have to say that the race is Obama's to lose and McCain can only continue to work hard and hammer his opponent as hard as he can.