Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

Pollsters, Analysts Confident Barack Obama Will Win Big; Most polls have Obama leading John McCain by a large margin.(Brief article)

Article from: U.S. News & World Report Article date: November 04, 2008 Author: Walsh, Kenneth T.

Byline: Kenneth T. Walsh

Political analyst Charlie Cook says he might be forced to go into the fast-food business if John McCain wins today's presidential election. That's because Cook has predicted a big loss for the Republican nominee in his race with Democrat Barack Obama.

Cook was only joking about his professional future last night on PBS, but his larger point was serious. A McCain win would embarrass most of the nation's pundits and pollsters and send them scrambling to figure out why they had been so wrong for so long about the outcome.

The consensus today ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Newser gathers stories from across the web and packs what you need to know into about 120 words.

Check out these stories related to your search. Visit our grid for the latest news.

'Palin Factor' Levels Race

Posted Sep 10, 08 3:10 AM CDT in Politics

Source: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

(Newser) – John McCain has erased Barack Obama's lead, transforming the presidential race to a statistical dead heat, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Obama's lead among women dropped from 10 to 4 points since August, which is largely attributed to Sarah Palin's popularity, reports MSNBC.

“This is kind of the political equivalent of the tortoise and the hare,” said a Republican pollster. “McCain continues to gain as we get closer to Election Day. The Palin factor is remarkable.” The poll is the most recent in a number of surveys finding support for Obama eroding and the candidates running neck-and-neck.

Source: NBC

More about: Barack Obama • John McCain • Sarah Palin • Joe Biden • opinion polls • Geraldine Ferraro • Walter Mondale • favorability rating • pollsters • NBC News/Wall Street Journal

Poll: Obama
Is Most-Liked Candidate Since Reagan

Palin's high negatives dragging down Mac

New York Times Oct 21, 08 2:20 PM CDT

(Newser) - Barack Obama is the most well-liked first-term presidential candidate in 28 years, New York Times /CBS polls found. More than half of voters, 53%, have a favorable impression of the Illinois senator, a 10-point increase over last month. And though John McCain’s approval ratings held steady, voters with a negative opinion of him increased 10 points, to 45%. More »

More about: Barack Obama • Election 2008 • John McCain • Sarah Palin • Barack Obama supporters • opinion polls • Democratic campaign • favorability rating

McCain, Palin
Embrace
Hugging
Etiquette

What's the etiquette for a mixed-gender ticket?

New York Times Sep 9, 08 8:00 AM CDT

(Newser) - In 1984, Walter Mondale had a strict "hands-off" policy with running mate Geraldine Ferraro, never even putting his palm on her back when they waved to crowds. Two decades later, times have changed: John McCain and Sarah Palin have been embracing on the campaign trail, forgoing handshakes for a series of somewhat stiff hugs. But etiquette for female politicians remains delicate, reports the New York Times . More »

More about: Barack Obama • Election 2008 • John McCain • Hillary Clinton • Sarah Palin • McCain-Palin • Geraldine Ferraro • etiquette • campaign etiquette • Walter Mondale • Christine Todd Whitman

What's
With Those
Undecideds?

The NY Times chats with some of the 4% who remain unsure

New York Times Nov 2, 08 2:57 PM CST

(Newser) - After a long campaign season, John McCain and Barack Obama have had ample chance to define themselves in America’s eyes—yet 4% of the country, a recent poll says, remains undecided. The New York Times spoke to a few of these “gray-state” voters to see what was holding them back; they noted good and bad qualities in each candidate, but remained tough to pin down. More »