Newsweek, this week:
On Nov. 4, Barack Obama will be elected as the next president of the United States. The real excitement won’t come from watching that foregone conclusion come to pass. No, the big question is, will Democrats nationwide simply “win” the night—or will they deliver an electoral drubbing so thorough that it signals the utter rejection of conservative ideology and kills the notion that America is a “center-right” country?
Seems like Newsweek might be rooting a little bit rather than covering.
But here’s the thing, Zogby’s polling numbers have the difference between Obama and McCain at four while just last week the spread was twelve. The Investor’s Business Daily poll has Obama up just two. Battleground has Obama up three. Rasmussen had it eight on Sunday but by Monday McCain had gained three. There has been a momentun shift here. The gap is narrowing.
I’m not saying it’ll be easy. I’m just saying that this is far from over.
The pollsters are still, I believe, overestimating Democratic turnout. Sarah Palin is amassing record crowds wherever she goes. John McCain finally has a message and he’s sticking to it and he’s putting money behind it with the “spreading the wealth” and Joe the Plumber. Some 527’s are finally stepping out from behind the trees for McCain including the Born Alive Truth folks.
And here’s something hardly anybody’s talking about. About 8-10 percent of the electorate is still telling pollsters they’re undecided. Well, that means that despite seeing three times more commercials for Obama, the media telling them that the election is already over, and viewing exclusively positive news stories about “The One,” there’s a group of people who have resisted jumping on the Obamessiah bandwagon. Why?
If I’m Obama, that makes me very nervous.
Something tells me that many of these “undecideds” are going to break McCain come game day, just as they did for Hillary in the primaries. In short, don’t give up hope. Too much is at stake this election day. Turnout is everything. If Florida in 2000 taught us anything, it’s that one vote really does count.
October 28, 2008 at 4:59 am
I concur. Keep fighting. Pray. Get the word out, and vote. Don’t let anyone tell you it is over. People have doubts about Obama. Don’t let the MSM tell you differently.
October 28, 2008 at 5:42 am
Matthew,
It grieves me no less than you, but this is a done deal: Mr. Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States. God save us all…
October 28, 2008 at 6:21 am
It may be pretty bleak, but it is hardly a done deal. We do not know if people have been lying to pollsters. We do not know if the polling methodolgy has been sound. Admittedly, every poll has Obama in the lead, but unless the more extreme ones are true, this is still within reach. McCain has very little margin of eror in terms of states he must win, but it can be done. Keep praying–miracles do happen. And we can’t give up. If we give up, we lose for sure. If we keep fighting, we may lose, but we also may win. And we have come too far to give up now.
October 28, 2008 at 7:34 am
I was thinking about Rush’s operation chaos, and I’m wondering if those who registered democrat would have any impact on how the polls are working or how they could turn out?
October 28, 2008 at 7:45 am
And could ACORN’s registering of phony voters have skewed the polling to the Democrats? If so, that could lead to a surprise in certain areas.
October 28, 2008 at 11:18 am
IF Obama wins – and it is still an IF – I daresay it has little to do with a rejection of conservatism or not being a center-right country. From what I’ve seen and heard, very few of his followers know, or care to know, of his positions on the various issues. They are swept away by charismatic retoric and pretty platitudes. If anything, it’s a rejection of reason, logic, intellect in favor of emotion –then again, maybe it IS a rejection of conservatism…
October 28, 2008 at 11:33 am
I pray that we do not have an Obama presidency, but regardless of the outcome we remain where we have always been: in the hands of God. There is no earthly leader who can take us out of that position.
October 28, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Look at it this way folks – Obama is within a margin of error of LOSING!!
Thinking he’s already won…. because the media said so… why should the Dems show up at the polls. This works in our favor. Go out and VOTE!
October 28, 2008 at 1:25 pm
C’mon guys. All this media having Obama as a lock is going to make it just the sweeter if he gets handed his buttocks.
October 28, 2008 at 1:25 pm
C’mon guys. All this media having Obama as a lock is going to make it just the sweeter if he gets handed his buttocks.
October 28, 2008 at 1:31 pm
“If Obama wins I’m not moving to Canada because they are already Socialist.” T-Shirt.
October 28, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Dewey Wins!
October 28, 2008 at 1:58 pm
About 8-10 percent of the electorate is still telling pollsters they’re undecided.
Not sure why you trust pollsters on undecideds but not on the Democratic turnout.
October 28, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I think there is a good chance it’s over but I am not giving up. I am still out campaigning, calling, getting my family and likeminded friends to show up. Kerry lost partly due to overconfidence by people who thought Bush would lose and by people who wanted to keep him out of office not giving up. So we need to do the exact same thing. If I were BO, I would be very nervous about the polls because of the large number of undecideds. Yes, they could go either way but a large chunk shows they are just not sold yet. So please, pray, vote and make sure your like-minded family members, friends, parishoners, etc. get out and vote on election day or earlier.
October 28, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Today is the feast day of St. Jude. Isn’t he the patron saint of impossible causes?
October 28, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Been counting yard signs. Here smack dab in the middle of Dem country, the yards sings are 8 – l for McCain/Palin! When I spot a McCain/Palin sign I whisper “Veni Creator Spiritus” (actually I mostly sing it). At the sight of an Obama/Biden, I whisper “fiat voluntas.” Folks, this is prayer: do a lot of it!
–William
October 28, 2008 at 2:33 pm
smells a bit like Truman V. Dewey, doesn’t it?
October 28, 2008 at 3:11 pm
That is why we can’t give up. With all the twists and surprises so far–from the Palin nomination to the financial bailout–this election has hardly been conventional. And an upset on the order of Dewey vs. Truman feels like the perfect capper.
October 28, 2008 at 5:50 pm
“If Obama wins I’m not moving to Canada because they are already Socialist.” T-Shirt.
Excellent! I was already planning on this sticker/t-shirt line:
“Not My Messiah.”
October 28, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Here’s my fantasy. In the worst case scenario, Obama wins. Okay, most folk agree there’s a high degree of cult-like worship that drives his base. They’re long on emotion, short on facts. Being short on facts can nip a lot of people in the butt, remember how everyone relearned the importance of the Electoral College back in 2000?
So the big “O” gets into the Oval Office and then we all find out that it ISN’T the start of the Millenium. He doesn’t deliver on his promises, his support base is ruefully awoken to the limits of emotion. They learn you don’t select a Chief Executive with the same criteria as a prom queen. Call it a teachable moment (we’re back to the Electoral College in 2000).
This all winds up driving a return to conservative values and the 2012 election sees a landslide for President Palin.
Okay, it might be farfetched. Lately it helps me sleep at night.