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Mind the 'If' Vs. 'When' I'm Prez

Seeming presumptuous turns off voters

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Oct 28, 2008 9:38 AM CDT

(Newser) – Both presidential candidates try to stay humble about their chances, writes Mark Leibovich in the New York Times. They always say, “If I’m president,” even if supporters sometimes respond, “When!” Barack Obama, leading in the polls, has to take extra care not to seem presumptuous, as John McCain regularly accuses the Democrat of prematurely “measuring the drapes.”

Both campaigns have an interest in keeping their supporters anxious. If Obama voters and volunteers get complacent, they may not bother to show up. And if it looks hopeless for McCain, his backers may just give up. When his supporters corrected his “If” with a “When,” Obama replied, “No, no, no. I’m superstitious. I don’t like counting those chickens before they’re hatched.”

[Images (5)]

[Quotes (1)]

John McCain waves with his wife Cindy on stage during a campaign rally in Pottsville, Pa., Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Barack Obama speaks at the Chicago History Museum in Chicago Friday, June 20, 2008. A new seal debuted on Obama's podium Friday, sporting iconography used in the US presidential seal, (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Direct mail that was mailed by campaigns, union, and state party committees is seen Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

John McCain and Barack Obama stand together during the Alfred E. Smith Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Barack Obama waves as he boards the plane at the airport in Canton, Ohio Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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I guess I’m old-fashioned about these things. I prefer to let the voters weigh in before presuming the outcome. - John McCain

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Mind the 'If' Vs. 'When' I'm Prez

Seeming presumptuous turns off voters

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[Quotes (1)]

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Barack Obama • John McCain • Election 2008

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