rssObama Takes Biggest Lead Yet
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 1:41 am
- 3 Comments
Sen. Barack Obama just dashed past his Republican opponent in today’s Washington Post/ABC poll, grabbing what The Post calls his “first clear lead” of the entire general election.
The national poll, which does not reflect the Electoral College or prioritize the swing states that actually decide the election, shows Obama besting Sen. John McCain by 52 percent to 43 percent among likely voters. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three points. (Full data.)
Economic concerns are not only boosting Obama — voters’ views of his economic leadership have improved during the past few weeks:
Independents, key swing voters, now break for Obama, 53 percent to 39 percent, reversing a small lead for McCain after the Republican convention. McCain is the choice of 86 percent of Republicans, while about as many Democrats, 88 percent, back Obama. In the new poll, voters once again gave Obama higher marks than McCain when it comes to dealing with the economy, 53 percent to 39 percent. Two weeks ago, Obama’s edge on the question was a narrow five points, his lowest of the campaign. Among independents, Obama’s advantage on the economy — now 21 points — is greater than at any point in the campaign.
National polls still offer only a rough snapshot of the electorate. Yet this one is striking because it suggests a sharp and unusual turn in the national mood — a kind that never occurred during the last presidential election.
Then, both candidates were locked in such a tight race that neither broke 50 percent in any Post/ABC poll prior to Election Day. Now, as the country faces a major economic crisis and voters look toward the first presidential debate, Obama appears to have consolidated majority support heading into the most crucial phase of the campaign.
In addition, voters are now indicating that they think the race is more important: a record-high 91 percent say they are following it closely, up from 73 percent in July.
3 Comments
Comment posted September 24, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
The real issue is not how well Obama or McCain might do state-by-state, but that we shouldn't have battleground states and spectator states in the first place. Every vote in every state should be politically relevant in a presidential election. And, every vote should be equal. We should have a national popular vote for President in which the White House goes to the candidate who gets the most popular votes in all 50 states.
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC). The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral vote — that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). When the bill comes into effect, all the electoral votes from those states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Because of state-by-state enacted rules for winner-take-all awarding of their electoral votes, recent candidates with limited funds have concentrated their attention on a handful of closely divided “battleground” states. In 2004 two-thirds of the visits and money were focused in just six states; 88% on 9 states, and 99% of the money went to just 16 states. Two-thirds of the states and people have been merely spectators to the presidential election.
Another shortcoming of the current system is that a candidate can win the Presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide.
The National Popular Vote bill has passed 21 state legislative chambers, including one house in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, and Washington, and both houses in California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The bill has been enacted by Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and Maryland. These four states possess 50 electoral votes– 19% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
See http://www.NationalPopularVote.com
Comment posted September 29, 2008 @ 7:34 am
The Choice is Simple:
If you want
EXPERIENCE AT GETTING IT WRONG,
Vote for McCain.
If you want,
JUDGEMENT AT GETTING IT RIGHT,
Vote for Obama.
Comment posted September 29, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
The Choice is Simple:
If you want
EXPERIENCE AT GETTING IT WRONG,
Vote for McCain.
If you want,
JUDGEMENT AT GETTING IT RIGHT,
Vote for Obama.
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