Hillary Hunts for the Human Touch

Many pundits ruled out Obama victory early

(NEWSER) - With the election over, what's more fun than calling out all those whose predictions were off—way off. Der Spiegel lists some highlights:

• "He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win." Hillary Clinton, on Barack Obama
• "We'll win Florida." Rudy Giuliani
• "Virginians are really getting fired up for this ticket of McCain and Palin." George Allen
• "Romney for the Republicans, Hillary for the Democrats." Ann Coulter, on the nominees

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's juggernaut rose on a (really) unpopular Republican presidency, an unpopular war, and a lousy economy. So why is John McCain suddenly ahead in the polls? Politico tracks five trends that have thrown the Democrats for a loop:

1. McCain successfully established himself as a change agent, eroding Obama’s central brand
2. Sarah Palin gives disenchanted Republicans someone to fervently cheer for

Likely nominee now has majority of pledged delegates

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama, who claimed a majority of pledged delegates last night after his win in the Oregon primary, has opened up an 8-point lead over John McCain in national polling, reports Reuters. Obama, who was tied with McCain in the Reuters/Zogby poll a month ago, also doubled, to 26 points, his lead over Hillary Clinton among Democrats. In a Clinton-McCain matchup, the two candidates are at level pegging. More»

Voters worry about age more than race or gender, survey finds

(NEWSER) - GOP contender John McCain would lose to either Democratic candidate if the match-up were held today, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Adults nationwide would choose Barack Obama over McCain by 12 percentage points; Hillary Clinton would beat the Republican by six points. Though McCain has eight months to gain ground, he appears to be a hard sell to many independent and moderate voters. More»

Contest held today would be tight; Clinton ties with GOP leader

(NEWSER) - It would be close, but Barack Obama would beat John McCain if the presidential election were held today, an AP-Ipsos poll shows. A McCain-Hillary Clinton contest would come out nearly even. The numbers highlight the deep divide between Obama and Clinton supporters, with roughly a third of each saying they'd sooner vote for McCain than the other Democrat. More»