Gallup Generic: Now They're Tied at 46%

Last week, conservatives and Tea Party activists had a field day with the generic poll from Gallup showing a 10% lead over a generic Democratic candidate. This week, Republicans and Democrats are tied at 46% among registered voters. Has the tsunami fizzled out? Was last week's surge just a polling blip? No one can honestly say at this point.

Whether the 2010 race has shifted more permanently to a more competitive positioning will be apparent in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, even the current tie in the generic ballot among registered voters points to a better year for Republicans than for Democrats, given the GOP's usual advantage in voter turnout in midterm elections. Read the full poll results at Gallup.