Fraction under mistaken impression much greater than 5-10% nationally: poll
Houston Chronicle Oct 30, 08 2:01 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Nearly a quarter of Texas voters still believe Barack Obama is a Muslim, the Houston Chronicle reports. Polling shows 23% of registered voters there buy internet-fueled rumors the Democrat is hiding his Islamic faith—compared to just 5-10% of voters nationwide. The same poll gives John McCain a comfortable lead over Obama, at 51%- 40%.
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OPINION
Prospect of legal challenges to voting are hardly far-fetched
Boston Phoenix Oct 30, 08 1:32 PM CDT
(Newser)
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At long last, the election is almost over—or is it? After the Florida fiasco in 2000, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long legal wrangling over a close race could last, Adam Reilly writes in the Boston Phoenix . A likely target for post-election litigation is ACORN and its run of phony registrations—especially since the Republican Party has already made it an issue.
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OPINION
Accent 'dissed' by elites is same tune favored by humble, common-sense majority
National Review Oct 30, 08 1:06 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The discomfort Sarah Palin causes in liberals, and even many conservatives, stems from a fundamental disconnect between the educated elite and real America, Michael Novak writes in the National Review . Solid, humble citizens hear a familiar ring to Palin’s oft-mocked accent: “The same guts. The same common sense. The same instincts. The same sense of America.”
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... by a thinner margin than they supported fellow Dem Kerry in '04
Voice of America Oct 30, 08 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Barack Obama has a big lead among Jewish voters, according to a survey by the American Jewish Committee. But his 57% support, to 30% for John McCain and 13% undecided, is “a bit lower than one would expect,” a group exec tells VOA News. At this time in 2004, John Kerry had 69% of the vote, which grew to 76% by Election Day.
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OPINION
No easy task to convince Congress to sacrifice its own self-interest
Time Oct 30, 08 9:53 AM CDT
(Newser)
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What’s on the front burner for a hypothetical Obama administration? Most of Washington seems to be jockeying for spots in the Cabinet, but Joe Klein of Time points out that Barack Obama (or John McCain) will be the first president since FDR to inherit neither peace nor prosperity. Obama’s top priority, “a government-propelled transition to an alternative-energy economy,” addresses both.
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OPINION
Don't let the polls dictate your vote, writes Bush's brain
Wall Street Journal Oct 30, 08 8:14 AM CDT
(Newser)
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With the explosion of polls in this presidential election—almost as many national polls this month as there were during all of 2004—there's a real risk that polls themselves will drive behavior in the voting booth, Karl Rove writes in the Wall Street Journal, urging voters not to let the numbers affect their choice. "It is much easier for journalists to devote the limited space in their papers or on TV to the horse-race aspect of the election rather than its substance," he notes, and in the last week, candidates offer little new substance.
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ANALYSIS
Republican picking up little to no ground
FiveThirtyEight.com Oct 30, 08 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser)
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John McCain isn’t moving up on Barack Obama in the polls—at least not fast enough to be significant, writes statistics guru Nate Silver at his blog FiveThirtyEight.com. The Republican appears to be about six or seven points back. While he’s picked up maybe a point in the last week, he has to gain six more in five days to close the gap—not an easy task.
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Party faithful split on politics but united in distrust
New York Times Oct 30, 08 7:18 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Vastly different crowds appear at the rallies of the candidates who started their campaigns calling for bipartisan unity, a roving New York Times reporter finds. Republican rallygoers shout to a country-pop soundtrack; the Democratic faithful dance to folk and Motown. Flag pins, pompoms, and patriotic songs define GOP gatherings, while Dems favor buttons and the word "change."
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Politics imitates fiction imitating politics in closing days of the 2008 race
New York Times Oct 30, 08 6:14 AM CDT
(Newser)
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A minority Democratic candidate battling an older Republican maverick in an election overshadowed by national crisis sounds pretty familiar to the makers of The West Wing— who wrote that script 4 years ago. As the 2008 race enters the home stretch, the parallels between it and The West Wing's final two seasons have left the writers amazed, they tell the New York Times .
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Even Mondale won his home state
Arizona Republic (Phoenix) Oct 29, 08 12:31 PM CDT
(Newser)
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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.
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Conservatives meet to make plans
New York Times Oct 29, 08 11:46 AM CDT
(Newser)
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A “who’s who of conservative leaders” will meet in Virginia next Wednesday to plot their movement’s future, and the top item on their agenda will be Sarah Palin. Win or lose, many see Palin as the new face of the Republican party, the New York Times reports. Despite all the criticisms, Palin remains a star among conservatives, who are eying her for a 2012 run if McCain loses.
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