Why Did McCain Close Obama's Lead? Could It Be a Better Platform?

Obama had a 9% lead in the polls last weekend, which is huge in presidential races, and this weekend it's gone. Why? Of course, it's because of McCain's "negative attack ads" - not because Americans are listening to the candidates' positions and choosing the better ones. For the second time I feel forced to join in to the the-media-loves-Obama bandwagon, and normally I sit out that kind of name-calling; but notice this AP writer uses comments from Obama's camp for the implied explanation of Obama's slump.