Is McCain Closing the Gap? Not Fast Enough: Silver

Economic worries give Obama the edge in 5 battleground states

(NEWSER) - Vital swing states are swinging in Barack Obama's direction, the latest CNN poll finds. The candidate has opened up leads over John McCain in Florida, Nevada and Missouri, while widening his margins in Virginia and Minnesota. The boost has come largely from moderates impressed by Obama's debate performance and people fretting about the economy, according to CNN's poll director. More»

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.

Even Mondale won his home state

(NEWSER) - One Arizona poll indicates that the presidential race is within 2 percentage points in John McCain’s home state, the Arizona Republic reports. McCain leads 46% to 44%, but the 3-point margin of error makes the race a toss-up, according to the Arizona State University poll. Republicans have an edge on Democrats in registered voters in Arizona, but the large pool of independents is going overwhelmingly for Obama. More»

'We are one week away from changing America,' Dem says in Ohio

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama warned voters today against acting as if he’s already won the election, urging them not to “let up for one day, one minute, or one second in this last week,” CNN reports. Speaking in Canton, Ohio, Obama charged that 4 more years of “Bush-McCain” policies was a “gamble” too big to take. More»