The final Sunday
James Forsyth 4:35pmThe Sunday before a presidential election is always odd. The candidates are madly criss-crossing the country in one final effort, the press are trying to predict the result while covering themselves for all eventualities and the country is wondering who is still really undecided at this point.
This morning’s papers and the Sunday shows are dominated by process talk—which states are in play, whose ground game is better and reflections on the campaign as a whole. Structurally, these conservations favour the frontrunner. They tend to emphasise the momentum that he has. Indeed, it is noticeable how Obama is spending most of his final few days on the trail in states that Republicans won last time out. On Monday, Obama is even rallying in North Carolina—a state that he’ll win if it is a landslide.
McCain’s strengths and weaknesses in this election were shown up by events late yesterday. McCain’s strength is that he can go on Saturday Night Live just days before the election and be funny and engaging, he is a genuinely appealing politician with a healthy sense of the absurdity of it all. But his weakness is the scarlet R attached to his name. The Obama campaign has rushed out a TV ad highlighting Dick Cheney’s pro-forma words of support for McCain yesterday.
The final set of Mason-Dixon battleground state polls out today do offer some encouragement for the McCain campaign. Although Obama leads in the states he needs, he is not breaking the 50 percent mark in them.
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David
November 2nd, 2008 4:50pm Report this commentJames,
You are the first to mock Labour for celebrating when for being "only" 8 points behind, yet here you say that McCain is in an encouraging position.
Why can you not just accept that he's had a poor campaign, and the Democrats will win
westbromblog.blogspot.com
November 2nd, 2008 6:09pm Report this commentDavid is right; the McCain campaign has been poor. It has only been in the last few weeks they have found a narrative to stick with. But this combined with the fact he is weighed down by the most unpopular President in history makes it even more remarkable that he is tying with Obama in so many of the swing states.
The polls suggest that the election is tight in states like Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, and a LA Times/Bloomberg poll gave McCain a 49-45 lead over Obama among Floridians who have already voted. Even in Pennsylvania, McCain has managed to erase eleven points off Obama’s once commanding lead of 15 points in the last month. Too little too late? We will have to wait until Tuesday to find out.
Familiar Clown
November 2nd, 2008 6:20pm Report this commentThe Final Sunday before Black Tuesday?
Water
November 2nd, 2008 7:15pm Report this commentBecause nothing is that certain, as an article in the Telegraph said on Friday October the 31st ’08 remember thoughts regarding Bush’s ‘perceived & portrayed’ loss in the past. When all loss was thought conceived via means of opinion polls, but then reality came home and struck resulting in the Republican votes revolved the perceived thoughts with lieu to the election at that time. Which Ultimately went back and snatched it For Bush. Acknowledging of course that McCain is an entirely different man. But the same set of scenarios could come back and manifest once more, it seems pending and thus applaud Forsyth in his faith and goodwill. Though it must be said, it will be a pity if thoughts such as his fall on dead and ignorant ears, as perceived means of the media (Speccie of course not included) allege.
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