1. Political observers have credited Tea Party activists and Sarah Palin for the victories of four, and possibly five, candidates in the August 24th Republican primaries.

The Hill noted that all of the candidates endorsed by Palin appeared to have won, including two congressional candidates, Paul Gosar in Arizona's 1st district and Allen West in Florida's 22nd district.

Also in Florida, Palin's candidate for attorney general, Pam Bondi, beat two opponents, including one backed by Newt Gingrich.

Palin also strongly supported her 2008 GOP running mate, Senator John McCain, who was being challenged from the right by former Congressman J. D. Hayworth.

AZ Central.com reported that, with 99.7% of the vote counted, the results were:
John McCain 281,418 (56.2%)
J. D. Hayworth 160,910 (32.1%)
Jim Deakin 58,726 (11.7%)

Richard Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, said McCain "owes his victory to the pressure he received from conservatives and Tea Partiers. To receive that support, he had to give up his maverick positions that have sometimes given aid and comfort to the liberals. I'm sure Senator McCain knows very well that he would not have won if he had continued his reputation as the Democrats' favorite Republican."

Viguerie explained that the strength of the Tea Party cause is being felt in various ways: sometimes by pressuring incumbents into retirement; other times by beating an establishment Republican in a convention or primary; or, in McCain's case, "by applying so much heat, they see the virtue of small government, constitutional conservatism."

In Alaska, Senator Lisa Murkowski was trailing Joe Miller, who was supported by both Palin and the Tea Party, by 1,668 votes.

The Anchorage Daily News stated that Miller credited his possible victory to Palin. "I'm absolutely certain that was pivotal," he said.

With all precincts counted, the Secretary of State's office reported the tabulations:

Joe Miller 47,027 (50.9%)
Lisa Murkowski 45,359 (49.1%)

However, over 16,000 absentee ballots were requested with 7,600 returned so far. Additional ballots will be accepted by mail if they are postmarked by the day of the election.

The counting of these ballots will not begin until August 31 and will not be completed until September 8.

2. Eight national polls all show Republicans winning the popular vote for Congress in the 2010 elections.

Real Clear Politics listed the results for each poll. The average of all of them together had a 4.5% margin for the GOP, 46.1% to 41.6%.

Republicans scored best in Rasmussen Reports where they hold a 9% lead, 47% to 38%. Democrats were only 1% behind, 46% to 45%, in the Ipsos poll for Reuters.