Sarah Palin has excited the conservative base and now goes everywhere McCain goes. She has become ... dare we say it ... a celebrity. McCain's crowds are bigger. These events are leaving people with the impression that the Republicans are now more enthusiastic than the Democrats.
The best tonic for this is a new Obama stadium event. The campaign has moved away from these, because they're trying to leave the impression of substance. It was a smart move before the Palin pick. But now, we need to counter that we own the enthusiasm, that whatever enthusiasm Palin picks up can never match the enthusiasm that Obama generates.
So, Obama should do another stadium/Nissan Pavilion event. Maybe more than one, in key states. Generate a huge turnout. That's the way to recapture the momentum, reassure unsteady Dems, and take back the race.