For the first time, there is a clear front-runner (Obama)

The Globe and Mail ^ | September 28, 2008 | John Ibbitson

[2ndDivisionVet]

John McCain's campaign is in crisis. The Republican presidential candidate must quickly reverse recent sharp declines and recapture the momentum in this election race if he is to avoid falling fatally far behind Barack Obama, his Democratic opponent.

Provided the 12-figure rescue package agreed to over the weekend makes it through the House of Representatives and the Senate, and quickly, the financial emergency may recede a bit as the overriding issue of this election campaign, although it will never be far from voters' minds.

Wall Street's distress poses an existential (this election's favourite buzzword) threat to Mr. McCain's campaign. Six of seven opinion polls, all conducted last week, put Mr. Obama at least five percentage points ahead of Mr. McCain (though one poll, GW/Battleground Tracking, had Mr. McCain ahead by two points).

The most recent survey, by Gallup Tracking, has Mr. Obama eight points up. And while many pundits, including this one, thought Mr. McCain outperformed Mr. Obama during the foreign-policy part of Friday night's televised debate, viewers disagreed.

Three separate snap polls – by CBS, CNN/Opinion Research and USA Today/Gallup – confirmed that it was actually Mr. Obama's night.

In the USA Today/Gallup survey, for example, 46 per cent of those polled thought Mr. Obama had outperformed Mr. McCain, while 34 per cent thought the opposite.

Fifty-two per cent picked Mr. Obama, when they were asked which candidate offered the best proposals for change to solve the country's problems. Thirty-five per cent picked Mr. McCain.

Two things seem to be at work. First, the economy – which was always the No. 1 issue in this campaign – has become elephantine in proportion.

[Wilder Effect]

And then he will become the Black Thomas Dewey on 11/4.

[madison10]

Repubs take it back 2 years into Obama’s term and then retake the WH in 2012.

You're assuming there will BE a U.S.A. and Constitution as we know it today in 2012 IF there is an Obama win in 2008. Given the actions of his Truth squads and illegalities all around, I'm having doubts.

[Nervous Tick]

>> the brits are hysterical.

The Globe and Mail is Canadian, eh?

the cute little red maple leaf would be your clue. ;-)

[svcw]

Comments? Sorry to be crude but do these people just pull this stuff out of their a$$.
Failing campaigns do not draw crowds in the tens of thousands.

[rbad]

I am with ya sisters..Its just so exhausting. I still believe McCain will win..But I just want it over with.

[GOPsterinMA]

Yikes! Then McCain HAS to launch the bombs - NOW!

[Wilder Effect]

Yes cherry, McCain has the advantage of having to just hold Red States, and maybe pick up a Blue state due to the Bradley Effect.

[cherry]

well, I think McCain takes it ....and bamey your hero goes into the trash heap and probably to jail for his financial shenanigans.....

McCain is an American hero, a statesmen, and he's backed by great conservatives like Fred Thompson ....

maybe you should ask for a raise over there in Soros village...that's where I place your ideas....

[stevem]

When polls change by double digits in one day, I'd stop looking at the polls. Rasmussen called me the other day. I hung up. What a waste of time.

My guess is most people have already made up their minds. When the polls show a tie again in two or three days are the liberals going to get hysterical again? Have they stopped being hysterical today?

[tapatio]

And then he will become the Black Thomas Dewey on 11/4.

LOL!

[brytlea]

I have finally hit that point. I’m tired of getting up every morning to see new lies, new spins, and realizing that there’s not much we can do about it. It’s very difficult to fight the MSM when they have decided who they want to crown as the new King of America. Sheesh.
susie

[38special]

You’re forgetting about the coming amnesty for illegals when 20 million new democrat voters will be added to the voter roles. Once the rats get in, it’s good night Irene.

[jilliane]

The polls were pretty close until a lot of press was given that Obama needed a 6% lead to make up the Bradley effect...the next day the polls jumped to a significant Obama lead.

[section9]

This is not such a bad place to be right now. Assume we get the "financial crisis" over and done with. It will recede into memory within two weeks. We have over a month to go in the campaign.

I'm not sure about the internals of these polls, other than the fact that the trend is in Obama's favor, but JMC is staying within reach in an absolutely toxic year for Republicans. Obama hasn't truly breached the fifty percent mark and stayed there.

We can win this thing. Indeed, Palin is the only one who gives McCain half a chance.

McCain will go negative in the ads, along with the NRA, and start to flesh out his economic agenda as he closes. He'll also roll Palin out more.

Best,

Chris

[keats5]

Hey Canada! We have our own polls we don’t believe. We don’t need yours.

[Eagles6]

You are right about that. I missed pelosi but I can imagine she is laughing all the way to the bank. They needed the economy in the tank and they got it 5 weeks before the election. The dems will stick it on the Repubs with the help of the msm and the gonadless (is that a word?)will take it like whipped dogs.

[skinkinthegrass]

the Karaoke (APoop/NYT/WaPoop/ABCNNBcBS/pBS/FauxNC) Journalists are @ it again.....just more Liberal Drivel.

Comments?....*my comments* not any allowed on FR...I'd get banned.

[pray4liberty]

Written to demoralize the McCain voter into staying home. Same old, worn out tactics...this tells me somebody out there is really really scared, if they have to resort to this. Mark my words: the more scared the press is of losing, the harsher the attacks. Eventually, they will get to the point of no return (and they are skating mighty close) and people will stop listening.

Don't worry Muslim-run U.K., we're not going to just hand over the election to Obama without a fight.

[Wilder Effect]

Good insight. I noticed that too.

All week, the DNC talking aheads discussed Bradley, and then the markets crashed.

DAMN Soros

[ken21]

i apologize!