Running Mate 'Bounce' Doesn't Climb Very High

Hillary Clinton still tops woman, followed by Sarah Palin

(NEWSER) - His approval ratings may have cratered over the past two years, but Barack Obama is still the most admired man in America, according to Gallup’s annual poll . Obama took 22% of the vote, cruising past the competition. Who came in second? The Decider himself, George W. Bush, who narrowly edged out Bill Clinton, 5% to 4%. Nelson Mandela and Bill Gates round out the top five. Obama’s dominance isn’t too surprising, Gallup notes—sitting presidents have taken the top spot in 52 of the 64 years it has run the poll. More»

(NEWSER) - A lot of people are lying about having voted for President Obama. A recent Wall Street Journal poll gives Obama a 50%-39% edge over John McCain—a big bump over his actual 7% victory. A New York Times survey shows Obama winning with a nearly 2-to-1 margin. That’s a remarkable number, but don’t get too excited; this always happens, Christopher Beam writes for Slate. More»

Others have vowed to help victorious opponent, but GOP senator really might

(NEWSER) - Every losing presidential candidate pledges to put aside partisanship and help the new president govern, but John McCain might be the first to actually do it, writes Steve Kornacki in the New York Observer. McCain is still in office, yet, at 72, “has absolutely no illusions about ever running for president again”—making the Republican surprisingly unique among modern candidates. More»

Here's how to dump Bush in Nov., not Jan.

(NEWSER) - In the current economic morass, the US cannot afford to wait 9 weeks to install the new president after he is elected in November, Richard Tedlow and David Ruben write in the Boston Globe. But wait—doesn’t the Constitution dictate the date of the inauguration? “Changing that would take years, not days,” write the two Harvard profs. “But there is a way out…” More»

McCain too busy with attack ads; losing support among base

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama continues to rise in the polls just as John McCain falls, with the latest numbers giving the Democrat a 10-point lead over his opponent, reports the Washington Post. Voters also gave Obama a clear lead on taxes and leadership for the first time in the election. McCain, meanwhile, is seen as too focused on attacking Obama, and is losing support even among his base. More»