On NBC’s Meet The Press today McCain “guaranteed” the election will be close and said he believes he will win it.
Posts Tagged ‘polls’
Waiting For The Fat Lady
I really don’t know where that phrase comes from, that it ain’t over until the fat lady sings (a reference to the final act in an opera?) but there’s no doubt that John McCain isn’t conceding the election until she does.
In spite of the fact that there are some Republicans who say that “it’s over” or believe the media are trying to give the impression that it’s in the bag for Barack Obama, the polls show that McCain is, during this home stretch, closing the gap.
Whether that actually translates into a guarantee of victory is another story. But, at least outwardly, McCain appears cautiously optimistic.
McCain predicts the results won’t be known when we all go to sleep election night. A winner won’t be announced, he believes, until dawn’s early light.
Frankly, I think those who perceive that the poll reporting that’s been indicating that Obama has the lead helps the Democrats by discouraging Republican voters have it wrong. I think it leads to complacency among some Democrats resulting in a net gain for the GOP.
Can McCain Catch Obama?
McCain needs kyrptonite
Today’s News Talk Online on Paltalk was about the presidential race. And explored whether, given his less-than-overwhelming performance during the second debate, John McCain can catch Barack Obama, if, in fact, the polls that show him lagging are accurate.
Of course, the polls put John Kerry in front of President Bush in the last election. And Al Gore in front of candidate Bush in the one previous. And we see how that played out.
Republican callers to the show expressed optimism that the polling is wrong again this year and that McCain will overtake Obama on Election Day. But Democrats, not surprisingly, suggested that the race is all-but-over and that those who oppose Obama so much had better just get used to the idea that in January, he will occupy the Oval Office.
But it is true that the only poll that really matters is the Election Day vote. And there are some Democrats who fear that the continued reporting of Obama’s lead might cause some from their party to become complacent and not take the time to vote in November.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/numberstumper/2925035414/
Palin Hits Obama Hard
Association questioned
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has hit Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hard, some might say below the belt, by accusing him of “palling around with terrorists.”
This is, surely, a sensitive issue at a time when the United States is struggling to protect itself from terrorist attacks in a post-9/11 era. And echoes the undercurrent of accusation leveled at Obama from McCain supporters over his relationship with Bill Ayers, a former radical from the 1960s. But it’s the kind of dig that is stunning, coming from a vice presidential candidate.
The attack was certainly not a slip of the tongue. Palin made it three times while on the campaign trail yesterday.
Ayers, now a college professor in Chicago, was a co-founder of the Weather Underground, which was responsible for a number of bombings in the ’60s, including one in California which killed a police officer. Obama has spoken out against what Ayers and his group did back then.
Of course, it’s a far stretch to try to associate Obama with those activities. He, of course, was just a child when they happened.
Ayers and Obama are neighbors in Chicago and served on a community board together. Ayers also had an early, tenuous political connection. But to say that Obama has been “palling around” with a known terrorist implies something more ominous. Especially when it comes from Palin.
What’s the next thing we’ll hear out of her mouth? Will she refer to the Democrat as Barack Hussein Obama, to strike fear into the hearts of those Americans who, wrongly, believe that Obama is a Muslim and, also incorrectly feel that all Muslims are terrorists?
Racial Attitudes Could Determine Presidential Race
Race an issue
A new AP/Yahoo poll suggests that in a close race for the presidency, race could determine who wins.
The poll suggests that enough Democrats feel uncomfortable with the thought of a black president that they might not vote for Barack Obama.
The poll finds that a full one-third of white Democrats have negative feelings toward black people.
Interestingly, this is not something that one hears discussed much publicly. There’s far more open discourse about Obama’s religious ties. Including allegations that he is or was a Muslim (false) or concerns about his association with a radical Christian preacher.
The poll indicates that, sadly, racial prejudice still lies below the surface in the United States.
Americans seem willing to accept blacks in the sports and entertainment fields. But when it comes to the highest office in the land, too many apparently feel that race is a major issue.
