By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

In a surprise, John McCain cut into Barack Obama's Gallup Poll lead on Tuesday. Obama leads 49-43 percent, down from 50-42 percent on Monday.

But McCain's gains came despite two facts:

-- The GOP nominee was widely seen as being the loser in last Friday's debate.

Indeed, the first two daily Gallup polls after that performance showed Obama surging ahead of McCain, tying his highest support level at 50 percent on Sunday and Monday.

-- McCain turned in a disappointing performance on the bailout bill, which failed Monday in the U.S. House.

McCain had suspended his campaign last week, saying the bailout required all his attention. He flew back to D.C., then pronounced everything on the economic front as being close to settled by late Friday (allowing him to debate Obama in Mississippi).

Yet by Monday the original bailout bill backed by McCain (and Obama) was dead.