October 04, 2008	Saturday	Shawwal 04, 1429

DENVER, Oct 3: Despite a gutsy debate performance by Republican VP pick Sarah Palin, she failed to turn the tide in the race for the White House, leaving John McCain struggling to revitalise his slipping bid, according to analysts.

Just over four weeks until the Nov 4 elections, McCain has yet to seize the upper hand from his Democratic rival Barack Obama and has been left trailing in the polls.

On Thursday his campaign admitted that it was pulling out of Michigan, effectively surrendering the midwestern state to the Democrats, to focus instead on six swing states.

And with more bad news on the economic front, McCain planned to hold a rally in Colorado before retreating to his Arizona ranch for the weekend, in a highly unusual disappearing act at the height of the campaign.

Missouri, where Thursday’s debate was held, is one of the key states in play -- along with Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana and Ohio -- and Republicans there acknowledged there was work to be done.

“Senator McCain has to win Missouri to win the White House. So there is a strong commitment from the McCain-Palin campaign to make sure that we deliver Missouri for that ticket,” said Jared Craighead, executive director of the state’s Republican Party.

He said he hoped to share in any resources now being made available following the decision to leave Michigan.

“I have got the call that in the build-up to the final days, we’re going to have more resources than we thought we would initially,” he said. Jack Cardetti, communications director of the Missouri Democratic Party, agreed McCain needed to win in Missouri, and said: “I fully expect some of those resources to come right here into Missouri.”

The Obama campaign has opened 40 field offices across the state, with more than 100 paid staffers, Cardetti said, describing it as an “unprecedented commitment to Missouri”.

Palin had stood her ground against Democratic rival Joseph Biden late on Thursday in the only vice presidential debate of the White House race, firing off rapid, well-rehearsed talking points.

The performance by Sarah Palin, the first time Alaska governor plucked from obscurity by McCain in late August to be his running mate, will have thrilled the party’s conservative case, following days of concern over her ability.

President George Bush tuned out the vice presidential debate after the first half, but came away impressed with his fellow Republican.

“He saw probably about the first half of it. He thought it was a good debate. He thought Governor Palin did very well,” Tony Fratto told reporters.—AFP