USA Republican presidential candidate John McCain got a bounce in opinion polls from his convention and the VP pick; and now runs even or slightly ahead of Democratic rival Barack Obama with eight weeks to go in the White House race.
McCain’s surprise choice of conservative Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate also sparked a burst of grass-roots Republican enthusiasm, polls showed, an encouraging sign for party strategists worried about turnout in the November 4 election.
Republicans have battled an unfavorable political environment all year amid a faltering economy and …