McCain blows a chance for a big WIN-WIN

[grampster]

Sorry I wasn't clear on my "leadership" comment about O'Bama.  What I meant was he's a great whorator as long as he has a teleprompter or a bug in his ear so that his pimps handlers can feed him words.

Since most of American politics is controlled by emotion rather than reason, Great whoratory sways the masses and the minions.  That is what I meant by what I said about Barry.

[Monkeyleg]

Rasmussen now has Obama ahead by 7 points. I don't recall an election where that kind of lead was reversed in the final four weeks. Does anyone recall such a scenario?

[Balog]

Monkeyleg: given pollster bias, the historic advantage black candidates have in polls but not voting booths, the generally low turnout among younger folks (a big Obama demographic), the feminist angst over Hillary etc etc I could see it happening easily.

[agricola]

Rasmussen now has Obama ahead by 7 points. I don't recall an election where that kind of lead was reversed in the final four weeks. Does anyone recall such a scenario?

Yes.  During the 1992 General Election, as late as April 1, Labour had a lead (between 4 and 7%) over John Major's Tory Party and was widely expected to win in the midst of economic turmoil, an unpopular former leader (Thatcher having been removed 18 months before) and having the advantage of "a charismatic" Leader of the Opposition.  On April 1, Labour held a widely-derided "American-style" campaign rally in Sheffield, featuring an especially demented Neil Kinnock shouting "We're alright!  We're alright".  

The lead on April 2nd was 2%.  

The Tories won with a majority of 21 MPs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/election97/background/pastelec/92keyiss.htm

[TommyGunn]

Rasmussen now has Obama ahead by 7 points. I don't recall an election where that kind of lead was reversed in the final four weeks. Does anyone recall such a scenario?

Rasmussen isn't the only poll.  Others have it more close.  I forget which one, but there was one that (today) had McCain ahead by one point.
Lots of things can happen in 5 weeks.
I'm not even sure I trust these day-to-day tracking polls. 
Zogby was on the record claiming McCain would win, and that wasn't very long ago.

IMHO, it's too close to call.

[Monkeyleg]

Rasmussen has had the best record over the last several years.

Obama has been even or ahead for months in every poll, and even in analyses of polls (polls of polls).

McCain needs a hat trick, and quickly.

Balog, I've read that 6% of those who say they're voting for Obama won't do so at the voting booth because of racism. Don't know if that's true or not, but almost everyone in my neighborhood is a racist Democrat who's not voting for McCain.

As for the youth vote, it was overwhelming here in Wisconsin in 2006, and decided many races in many districts.

[longeyes]

McCain needs to LISTEN, that would be a beginning.

Now he's yammering about how "life isn't fair."  I get it: It is written.  This is from a guy who, other than his POW experience, has pretty much had life his way for most of his 72 years.  Quit yer whinin', Senator, and show some fire.

McCain should have realized what he was up against with the media and planned his strategy accordingly.   He doesn't seem to know what he is selling and whom he's selling it to.

What isn't fair is that good conservatives are stuck with fools.

[TommyGunn]

Rasmussen has had the best record over the last several years.

Obama has been even or ahead for months in every poll, and even in analyses of polls (polls of polls).

McCain needs a hat trick, and quickly.

Zogby, who also has a pretty good record, doesn't seem to agree with Rasmussen.
While I agree that we're in a close race (well, except for Rasmussen ...) McCain does need to do something to blunt Obama's apparant momentum. 
The only poll that matters is the one in the voting booth.

Polls have been wrong before, political fortunes swing with the wind.  How many people who respond to these polls are actually going to vote?


As much as I tend to think this country needs an Obama administration to whack some good sense into the minds of many in the electorate, an Obama administration would preside over a major economic meltdown and if you think Dubya handled the war bad, you ain't seen nuttin' yet.  It would be years of pain. 
Do the people really deserve that kind of punishment?
I'd rather not see it myself.

But I am not going to look at day-to-day tracking polls and stroke out because McCain isn't up by 98 points, fer krissake ......

[seeker_two]

Right now the only reasons to vote for McCain are:

1. He's not Obama.
2. Sarah Palin.
3. He may catch a cold.
4. Sarah Palin.
5. His age and health might keep him from completing his first term, much less run for a second.
6. Sarah Palin.
7. John Hinkley is due for another release hearing in the next couple of years.
8. Sarah Palin.
9.  I'm out....anyone have more to add?....

[Manedwolf]

Right now the only reasons to vote for McCain are:

1. He's not Obama.
2. Sarah Palin.
3. He may catch a cold.
4. Sarah Palin.
5. His age and health might keep him from completing his first term, much less run for a second.
6. Sarah Palin.
7. John Hinkley is due for another release hearing in the next couple of years.
8. Sarah Palin.
9.   I'm out....anyone have more to add?....

He might not screw up with guns, Obama will definitely want to take them.

[seeker_two]

Right now the only reasons to vote for McCain are:

1. He's not Obama.
2. Sarah Palin.
3. He may catch a cold.
4. Sarah Palin.
5. His age and health might keep him from completing his first term, much less run for a second.
6. Sarah Palin.
7. John Hinkley is due for another release hearing in the next couple of years.
8. Sarah Palin.
9.   I'm out....anyone have more to add?....

He might not screw up with guns, Obama will definitely want to take them.

McCain may not actively go after them like Obama, but he'll sell us out to the anti's to get what he wants....Remember McCain-Feingold?....

[Manedwolf]

Right now the only reasons to vote for McCain are:

1. He's not Obama.
2. Sarah Palin.
3. He may catch a cold.
4. Sarah Palin.
5. His age and health might keep him from completing his first term, much less run for a second.
6. Sarah Palin.
7. John Hinkley is due for another release hearing in the next couple of years.
8. Sarah Palin.
9.   I'm out....anyone have more to add?....

He might not screw up with guns, Obama will definitely want to take them.

McCain may not actively go after them like Obama, but he'll sell us out to the anti's to get what he wants....Remember McCain-Feingold?....

Remember Chicago? Take it national. THAT is what Obama would do.

[The Annoyed Man]

I think it might be just about time for folks to be thinking about what they'd do if Obama comes to get those guns.

Please, don't discuss that here, though.

Just . . . be thinking about it. 

[Monkeyleg]

I think it might be just about time for folks to be thinking about what they'd do if Obama comes to get those guns.

Having been one of many people on this forum who have worked with RKBA volunteers to rally gun owners on various issues, I think I can safely say that nearly all gun owners will just fold.

[longeyes]

Interesting.  A small number of leftists, backed by lotus-eaters, are going to dismantle the dream of the Founding Fathers?  Really?

The American people are really that hypnotized?

The point is, the sleep of reason and the slumber of pleasure have already taken place.  The events that are coming will wake a lot of the sheep from their long winter's nap.  It is one thing to die of too much pleasure, another thing to realize you are looking at a world of hurt for an indefinite period.

I wouldn't place any bets on what's ahead.