Wacky Garb Key to Conventions

Convention boosts McCain to highest numbers since May

(NEWSER) - John McCain is leading Barack Obama by 48% to 45% in the latest Gallup poll, McCain's highest level of support since early May, Politico reports. Both candidates earned an expected convention bounce, but McCain’s boost was more immediate. Obama was ahead 49% to 43% among registered voters before the Republican convention last week. More»

New threshold marks key advance against McCain's 42%

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has the support of 50% of voters for the first time since beginning his run for the White House, according to the latest Gallup poll. It's a key symbolic threshold for Obama, who was evenly split at 45% with John McCain before the Democratic convention, reports Politico. McCain tallied 42% in the latest poll. More»

Polls see Obama's approval grow by below-average 3%-4%, then diminish over weekend

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama enjoyed a noticeable, but below-average, bounce in opinion polls after last week’s Democratic National Convention, Politico reports—but the gains appear to be already diminishing. Obama has risen 4% in Gallup’s daily tracking poll, 3% in a CBS survey—smaller than the average 5-6% convention bounce. And while Gallup had Obama 8% ahead of John McCain on Saturday, his margin was 5% yesterday. More»

Broadcasters cede historic role as political pundits

(NEWSER) - The Democratic Convention made it official, writes Scott Collilns in the Los Angeles Times: The broadcast networks have passed the political torch to the cable networks. CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC not only delivered “wall to wall coverage” compared to the broadcast nets' paltry hour of nightly programming. Their ratings soared, while the networks' "stank." More»

(NEWSER) - Watch out, mainstream media: Bloggers have claimed a space of their own at this year’s Republican National Convention. All they got 4 years ago was a folding table for a dozen huddled writers; now more than 200 have credentials and an area to work in. Big-name anchors like Katie Couric and Brian Williams will even be blogging as festivities unfold. More»