Blue-Collar White Women Shift to Obama

Sarah Palin's candidacy shook up the race, but polls show female support in line with past elections

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin’s novel influence on the presidential campaign appears to have waned, and the “gender gap” among voters has reverted to that in past elections, the Chicago Tribune reports. That means women favor Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain. Women will support Obama by a margin of between four and 11 percentage points on Election Day, predicts a scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. More»

Shift of working white women to GOP spells trouble for Obama

(NEWSER) - Polls clearly show the white women's vote swinging away from Barack Obama and it's a particular group the candidate needs to worry about most, Karen Tumulty writes in Time. Soccer moms comprised the key swing group in 1996, and "security moms" did last election, Tumulty notes. This time, it's the "Wal-Mart moms"—or grandmas—who could win it, she adds. More»

Politico : State seems 'tailor-made' for Obama

(NEWSER) - Oregon voters' sympathy for "the cool, cerebral type" bodes well for Obama in today's primary, according to the folks at Politico, who bring us five things to watch for in the Beaver State:

1. How quick will it be called?—Oregon is three hours behind the eastern seaboard, but the mail-in votes can be quickly counted electronically.

Dramatic shift in electorate favors liberals: poll

(NEWSER) - Blue states are far bluer than red states are red, says a new Gallup poll. Party registrations favor Democrats—they lead by 10 or more percentage points in 29 states and the DC, compared to four states where Republicans dominate—suggesting that Dems can expand on ther gains they made in last year's elections, the Hill reports. More»

(NEWSER) - At 5 tonight, a wave of exit-polling results will be distributed to media insiders, who'll try manfully to resist sharing anything that might prejudice voters—even though it will kill them. At 6 pm, the results will start rolling in, and Politico gives you a play-by-play guide to what to look for as each state reports. Some highlights:

• Indiana: Polls close at 6 in the East, 7 in the West. An Obama win in the hotly contested state would give the McCain campaign pause.