Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

Presidential election minus five days

With less than a week ago to the big day, the polls are showing only a fractional narrowing in Barack Obama’s formidable lead. Such narrowing has been enough to move North Carolina to the John McCain column on my polling aggregates while making Indiana line-ball, but Obama is retaining his tight grip on the rust-belt swing states while increasing his lead in Florida. For some local colour, our good friends at UMR Research have produced another poll on Australian views of the contest. It finds Obama’s lead over McCain among Australians has widened still further in the past month, from 66-13 to 72-9.

Obama McCain Sample D-EV R-EV
Michigan 54.7 39.4 3005 17
Washington 54.9 40.1 3379 11
Maine 54.5 40.0 2185 4
Minnesota 53.6 41.3 4128 10
Iowa 52.6 41.7 3530 7
Pennsylvania 52.2 41.7 5505 21
New Hampshire 51.7 41.9 3905 4
Wisconsin 51.5 42.1 3490 10
New Mexico 50.5 43.3 2927 5
Colorado 50.6 44.4 4541 9
Ohio 48.6 42.8 4741 20
Virginia 50.7 45.0 4852 13
Nevada 50.0 45.4 3418 5
Florida 48.0 45.2 5429 27
Missouri 47.4 46.5 4050 11
North Dakota 45.5 44.7 1206 3
Indiana 47.1 47.0 4934 11
North Carolina 47.4 48.4 5466 15
Montana 45.0 48.9 3128 3
Georgia 45.6 50.0 3530 15
West Virginia 42.7 51.0 3622 5
Others - - - 175 137
RCP/Total 49.9 43.9 - 363 175

478 Comments

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  1. 301
    Oz
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:06 am | Permalink

    lol hubris again.

  2. 302
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:12 am | Permalink

    Glen, I’m willing to call all of those excepting Louisana and Nebraska (splits their EV, Obama likely to get Omaha) for McCain :) ….

    I’m full of good will today :) :)

  3. 303
    jjulian1009
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:12 am | Permalink

    Julie @ 292
    Further to your comment about Chuck Todd at NBC: Here’s his cogent take on Colorado which is doubly sweet for me because my rightwing Repub brother lives there. The salient point is Todd’s assertion that the Repubs winning coalition, The Southern Strategy, is now “inoperative” (to use a favourite term employed by THE great Southern Strategist, R. M. Nixon):

    “Colorado: What a transformation. The Democratic dominance is taking place so fast that it appears the state forgot it was supposed to stop in “toss-up” land on its way from Red to Blue status. Democrats could win another House seat in the state, another Senate seat and see Obama carry the state. If I were the Republican Party, I’d make Michigan and Colorado my petri dishes for experiments to get the party’s groove back. Until the GOP can appeal to secular independents in the West and working class Democrats in the Midwest, they are going to be a minority party. The party’s comeback should start in one of these two states because they are microcosms of the GOP’s issues.”

    RE: my entry in Great Guesstimate Contest. You are spot on, as always, that I am standing pat on 313 EV’s, No Mizzou, and California.

    ExPat Follower, I’ve been wracked by too many over-optimistic expectations for too many past elections, including K’07 final 2PP margin of victory tightening in the final week to 5.4 over Howard, which is close to what I expect Obama’s margin will be over McCain. What an immensely proud feeling it would be for my old country to follow the sagacious voters of OZ almost precisely one year later.

  4. 304
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:15 am | Permalink

    Remember this one?

    http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BKmXSYi49IU

    I knew if I searched long enough and hard enough, I would find someone who would make a US equivelent for this election that was of at least as good or better quality :) ….

    Enjoy :) :) :)

    Obama: It's Been a Long Time Coming
    http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=cUwwsIXtrqw

  5. 305
    jjulian1009
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:24 am | Permalink

    Jeepers, Julie, I’d never seen the K’07 one before—what a little bewdy!

    My Muchas Gracias for the links and for your unflagging good humour throughout this past month or so.

  6. 306
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:25 am | Permalink

    jj. it sure is a good place for the political soul to be when we can smile about politics again? :-D

  7. 307
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:29 am | Permalink

    Watch Live Obama/Biden Rallies Throughout The Day

    Check back here to watch live streaming video of Obama and Biden rallies throughout the day.

    Biden in Tallahassee FL 12:45 pm EST
    Obama in Columbus, OH 1pm EST
    Biden in Gainesville, FL 4:30 EST
    Obama in Cleveland OH 5:15 pm EST
    Biden in Daytona FL 7:30 pm EST
    Obama in Cincinnati OH 9:10 pm EST

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/31/watch-obama-live-in-iowa_n_139694.html

  8. 308
    Diogenes
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 11:25 am | Permalink

    Here’s an interesting article. More Americans now get their campaign news from the internet than newspapers (33% to 29%). The internet was only 10% in 2004. TV is still number one.

    http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1017/internet-now-major-source-of-campaign-news

  9. 309
    jjulian1009
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    For a compelling analysis explaining how the MSM are “undermisestimating” the Obama vote, check out this post from John Nail on Talking Points Memo site:

    http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/jnail/2008/11/what-the-latest-state-polls-ar.php

  10. 310
    Ron
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 12:46 pm | Permalink

    Prediction

    As th sole regular Non Obama supporter in th flock here , I will make a specific range of e/v and State predictions using odds methodology

    Firstly , tink th pollstars generally hav been wrong all year on turnout and that likely voters will be at least 1% higher

    Secondly , expect small Bradleys probably in areas of say CA and MA…and larger reverse Bradleys in say VA , MS & AL However if high turnouts vs Pollstars dissections then more difficult to identify

    Unwinnable States for Obama that conversally numerous US pundits say for ar in play : GA , WV , AR , MT (and ND most unlikely)

    E/V’s guaranteed (100/0% chanse Obama ) 311

    E/V’s variously marginol …FL , IN , NC & MO (64 e/v’s)

    These marginals warrant individual general assessment :

    FL (70/30% for Obama) should be naturally more marginal than this … but th (“R” brand ) bailout hurt retirees & Obama’s promise to part drill offshore both added votes

    NC (54/46%chnse for Obama) reason: reely a red State chance for Obama on changed demographics & large assumed black vote turnout) ,

    IN (52/48% chance for McCain , reason a normative conservative unwinnable red State but fluke is that Obama comes from IL & th very pro Obama IL Media beams into th west of IN helping make IN quite Obama competitive , and also underestimated “likely voters” turnout will make it close)

    MO 50/50% cliffhanger ..to split would normaly go with incumbency & narrowing non wish t change but I’ hav to assume my suspicions ar correct that Pollstars in US hav undertated likely voters by about 1% and if so MO is th State frankley it would now be most decisive in , so weighting that likely voters understatement makes MO 50.5/49.5% chanse for Obama

    These 4 marginal States equal an Obama 364 final e/v total on break odds

    A probable over th odds bet with value with 364 from Bookies but would need a layoff on say CA as th tipping point , and everyone then to hope bookies do not 100% clean up everyones money by a very unlikely % chanse E/V split of either NE or ME

  11. 311
    BH
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    Jjulian or Juliem – I was just reading the talkingpointsmemo. What is GOTV?

  12. 312
    Dario
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 1:03 pm | Permalink

    Get Out The Vote

  13. 313
    BH
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 1:10 pm | Permalink

    Derrrrr – Thanks Dario. My brother called me a geriatric today so hope he is not reading this or it will be confirmed!

    Has anyone heard whether the Rev. Wright ads being run until the election by the GOP Trust are having an effect? I’ve given up Fixed News to keep the blood pressure in check but haven’t seen anything about the ads on CNN so far.

  14. 314
    Dario
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 1:26 pm | Permalink

    I think at this late stage it will be difficult to determine what works or not. Haven’t seen too many media articles about the ads so I don’t think they are getting that wide a circulation.

  15. 315
    Dario
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 1:40 pm | Permalink

    Final Gallup national poll before the election has the same margin for both their LV models, with Obama +11 (MOE 2%):

    Obama 53
    McCain 42

    http://www.pollster.com/blogs/us_obama_53_mccain_42_gallup_1.php

  16. 316
    BH
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 1:41 pm | Permalink

    Crikey has just come through here so I’ll have a look to see if there is anything from Guy Rundle. His reports have been great so far.

  17. 317
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 1:57 pm | Permalink

    310,

    Ron if I understand you correctly, you are going 364 with California as the state to put him over the top (based upon the order that the states are called in for Obama on election night. (and Yes on Missouri)

    If that is wrong (again, apologies, I’ve a hard time understanding your posts), please correct me by posting numbers that are different.

    Summary – 364 Y Missouri California

  18. 318
    ltep
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:00 pm | Permalink

    A very encouraging Gallup.

  19. 319
    An Cu
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:05 pm | Permalink

    Juliem,

    my tip is for BarryO to get 349 ECVs and Cal-eye-forn-eye-ay to put him over, cheers,

  20. 320
    jjulian1009
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:05 pm | Permalink

    Dario, that Great Gallup Poll has a stable mate!

    From Huffington Post a short time ago:

    “With two days left until the presidential election, Barack Obama continues to lead John McCain by 13 points among likely voters, 54 percent to 41 percent, a new CBS News poll finds. The margin in the new poll, released Sunday, is identical to that in a CBS News poll released Saturday.

    As the number of undecided voters has dwindled, so has the number that says their minds can still change. More than nine in 10 of each candidate’s voters now say they have made up their minds about who to vote for and are not likely to change. Just seven percent of Obama voters and 8 percent of McCain voters say they still might change their minds.”

    I think this might help answer BH’s question in comment #313 about Rev. Wright ads. Of course, a major problem with Rev ads is that they give proof that Obama is not a muslim, which some whacky Americans still believe.

    As Paul Keating once said, “what a beautiful set of numbers”!

  21. 321
    seanofperth
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:05 pm | Permalink

    an amazing gallup. welcome to blowout town. a fitting and stinging rebuke of 8 years of repugnant dubya

  22. 322
    jjulian1009
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:09 pm | Permalink

    Intrade’s also gone the Obama boost again today:

    Obama up 3 points to over 89, and McCain down 2.5 points to 11.

  23. 323
    jjulian1009
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:10 pm | Permalink

    seanofperth

    Succinctly and elegantly expressed, Seano!

  24. 324
    Glen
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:12 pm | Permalink

    juliem you sound like Michelle Obama saying she was never proud of America until Obama won the nomination for the Democrats.

    We shouldnt feel proud in politics only when our side wins.

  25. 325
    ltep
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:14 pm | Permalink

    I wouldn’t feel ashamed. Just as if I was an alien on the planet Stupid.

  26. 326
    BH
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:15 pm | Permalink

    Jjulian – hadn’t thought about the Christian aspect of the ads. You are right – there is a reverse side to it. I feel a bit better, thanks.
    538.com now has Obama’s lead down from earlier today- what would be doing that.

  27. 327
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:21 pm | Permalink

    Updates still needed from a few people out there if you are still tuned into this channel? ;-) ….

    Glen and WorkToRule, a summary of your guesses. If either one wishes a change, post it before 10pm Tuesday. Otherwise, if your number comes up, you share the glory since your tiebreakers are the same.

    Glen O 291 N MO CO
    worktorule O 291 N MO CO

    Evan14, I still don’t have the state that you think will put Obama over 270 [ I'm using the count as delivered by CNN to get this answer ]. Right now, you’re on the same numbers with someone else and they’ve picked Virginia as the state that will put Obama over 270.

    StewartJ and William, same as previous paragraph. I still need the state that you think will put Obama over the top.

    StewartJ, your competition has said the quad of CA/OR/WA/HI for putting Obama over the top (meaning that any one of those 4 qualify for an answer). You could select the same if you don’t mind sharing with someone else, or just pick a different state from those 4? Up to you :) .

    William, if you can’t decide and our number comes up, I can just use the fact that I put in 375 first as a tie breaker. We’ve both picked Missouri for Obama but everyone 364 and above has done so :-D

  28. 328
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:25 pm | Permalink

    324,

    Glen, after 8 years of incompetence in Washington, you are not getting me down this close to the coup de grace :-D ……..

    Sorry, but in my corner I don’t feel the emotion of pride when the administration in Washington acts against my beliefs :) .

    Possum, don’t know where you have been the last few days/weeks? Get the remote warmed up and the alcohol on ice up in our corner of the tree :) :) :)

  29. 329
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:26 pm | Permalink

    William, I’ve said Colorado as the state to put Obama over 270.

  30. 330
    Diogenes
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:39 pm | Permalink

    juliem

    I miscalculated mine. Instead of 293 it should be 353. Just joking. It should be 292.

  31. 331
    juliem
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:42 pm | Permalink

    got it dio :)

  32. 332
    Diogenes
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 2:58 pm | Permalink

    This refers to a fascinating study which showed that Gore supporters expected to be devastated if they lost but weren’t when it actually happened. What’s even more fascinating is that they falsely remembered being devastated three months later on the day the Supreme Court stole our bloody victory. The same was true of Bush supporters replacing ecstatic for devastated.

    Lebanon Valley is one of three institutions doing a study this year on the emotional intensity of the election, comparing people's expectations to their reactions afterward. A similar study done for the 2000 election showed that people who expected to be inconsolable if Al Gore lost actually felt OK when it happened.

    "We have tremendous powers to make it seem to ourselves like it turned out the way we thought it was going to," said psychologist Michael Kitchens, who is co-leading this year's study.

  33. 333
    Glen
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 4:49 pm | Permalink

    coup de grace???

    McCain is nothing like George W Bush Juliem he deserved it more in 2000 and if he doesnt win he’ll be one of the best losing candidates who would have make great Presidents.

    If as expected Obama wins, politics will have changed to a competition not based on the values of ones ideas but how well somebody speaks and how good a PR campaign they can run. Obama has not run on the issues, Rudd didnt either.

    If he wins Obama’s victory will spell the death of substance over style.

  34. 334
    Dario
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 4:57 pm | Permalink

    if he doesnt win he’ll be one of the best losing candidates who would have make great Presidents

    Can’t agree. The guy has changed positions on so many things, and just seems flaky these days.

  35. 335
    Glen
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:02 pm | Permalink

    And Obama hasn’t?

    Havent you ever heard of compromise something McCain has done by working with both parties???

    When has Obama ever had to compromise other than putting Biden on the ticket!

    Obama has yet to even complete his first term in the Senate and he’s on track to win the election. I for one would laugh if the Bradley effect happened!

  36. 336
    Diogenes
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:05 pm | Permalink

    Glen

    He had to be nice to Hillary. That was a compromise. :D

    And Obama has had a huge number of Republicans endorse him, Powell being the most important. They can see his bipartisan potential.

  37. 337
    Dario
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:08 pm | Permalink

    And Obama hasn’t?

    Not like McCain, no. The guy is a shadow of his former self in 2000.

    Havent you ever heard of compromise something McCain has done by working with both parties???

    He didn’t change his positions to compromise in getting things passed, he did it to try and get elected.

  38. 338
    ltep
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:09 pm | Permalink

    If McCain is so experienced he sure isn’t showing it. I cringe everytime I see him give a speech or make an appearance. Don’t worry though Glen, according to him the Republicans are going to win.

  39. 339
    lefty e
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:14 pm | Permalink

    I see Cheney delivered the kiss of death to McCain yesterday.

  40. 340
    Glen
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:23 pm | Permalink

    He wasnt nice to Clinton, and he didnt compromise by putting her on the ticket.

    He has no potential to reach across party lines, he has never done it in his short political career why would he do so now.

  41. 341
    Glen
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:31 pm | Permalink

    The media should have done its job and discounted Obama from the get go since he has virtually no experience, but they backed him over Clinton in the primaries, and has since not jumped off the bandwagon.

    I hate to say it but if Obama was not bi-racial he wouldnt have stood a chance against Clinton or anybody else considering how inexperienced he is. But because he is different and can speak well the media fell over backwards to support him.

  42. 342
    Gary Bruce
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:33 pm | Permalink

    Tell me Glen, name one presidential candidate, running for the first time, that has had experience at being president.

  43. 343
    Gary Bruce
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:35 pm | Permalink

    This experience argument is such a crock. You gain experience by being in the job.

  44. 344
    Gary Bruce
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:37 pm | Permalink

    Clinton was said to “not have experience” when he was first running.

  45. 345
    Glen
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5:44 pm | Permalink

    That was stupid she’s served in the Senate longer than Obama and actually done more whilst she’s been there that counts as experience.

    You gain experience in politics by doing something, not voting present all the time and not drafting bills. Obama is a light weight and the media dont seem to care?

    What has Obama done???
    How the heck did he win the nomination for Senator????

    Obama has the least experience of any Presidential candidate since Lincoln.

  46. 346
    enjaybee
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 6:02 pm | Permalink

    Glen has an obsession with experience.

  47. 347
    lefty e
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 6:11 pm | Permalink

    “Obama has the least experience of any Presidential candidate since Lincoln.”

    Yeah, and wasnt he a dud.

  48. 348
    Expat Follower
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 6:15 pm | Permalink

    Morning everyone – sorry Jules & JJ… my dyslexia is setting in with JJ’s prediction – of course he was referring to another entity’s prediction and not his own. I understand the natural pessimism, and am now suddenly worried about Ohio & Virginia on the Sunday polls and suspect the Missouri/Georgia/Nth Carolina hopes are really just that… oh well, at worst that still means BO should exceed 300?

    Glen, give it a break with the sour grapes? Even though you might be correct about McCain at his core at some point in time in the past, the campaign he has run has been pathetic low-road run-to-the-right Dole ‘96 nonsense. Obama’s has been far more consistent and substantive and with more grounding in actual facts than made-up crapola. Its fair enough to question how effective he’s likely to be based on his supposed experience, but its more than fair enough to question how effective Hilary/McCain were likely to be based on the populist/base nonsense they were prepared to trundle out – and on the physical evidence of judgements and decisions made through their campaigns itself… it depends on how you want to define ’substance’… if its merely by reference to a cv independently of what one is saying now, that’s not a very persuasive argument? I’ll go with consistency, fact-based policy assertions, and erring on the intellectual high-road side as a better indicator of substance – and Obi has more than passed the test here (let alone beat Hilary and JohnnyMac hands down)

  49. 349
    zombie mao
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 6:19 pm | Permalink

    Zogby: the hilarity continues

    national
    O: 50.9 (49.5)
    M: 43.8 (43.8)

    Remember that 1 day poll that showed McCain ahead, the latest shows Obama ahead 54-41…hence the tracker creeping up.

    oh and zogby state polls:

    PA
    O: 53.7
    M: 40.0

    OH
    O: 50.2
    M: 43.9

    VA
    O: 50.7
    M: 44.6

    NV
    O: 50.7
    M: 42.9

    FL
    O: 47.5
    M: 46.2

    MO
    O: 47.4
    M: 45.7

    NC
    O: 47.7
    M: 49.3

    IN
    O: 43.9
    M: 49.1

  50. 350
    Dario
    Posted Monday, November 3, 2008 at 6:27 pm | Permalink

    How the heck did he win the nomination for Senator????

    By being an Illinois state senator for 8 years?

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