This is excellent news for Rudy Guliani

There's only one poll that matters, and most liberals will be too lazy or complacent to take part in it.

As the stock market fell some on the right made the claim that it was because Obama led in the polls. Now that his lead is double digits the market is climbing. Do you think they are re-thinking their position?

Just imagine if the MSM had covered Palin's lies, or the trooper report, or mentioned Keating as much as Ayers...

If McCain's inevitable fate is to lose, then wouldn't it make sense for Palin to be out only for herself at this point? It sure looks to me that she is building up a constituency for herself rather than working toward a win for McCain.

Anyway, I hope to see a discussion of that possibility.

@ohcomeonhussein
They never rethink their positions. They just make up new ones.

Look for the new media meme to be: if Obama is leading by this much in the internals, why isn't he up by more overall? Why can't Obama lock up the angry old white man vote!?!?!?

Jörgen in Germany said:
They never rethink their positions. They just make up new ones.

And they insist that it was the Democrats who held the original position.

In the past 40 years, no one has won the general election without also winning Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Can Obama be the first?

It sure looks to me that she (Palin) is building up a constituency for herself rather than working toward a win for McCain.

If her much ballyhooed visit to WV is any indication, her future is not all that bright. She landed at the airport for a few minutes, drawing about a dozen supporters and a hundred or so protesters. She gave no speech, even though the McCain campaign was calling it a rally.

Jake wrote: Look for the new media meme to be: if Obama is leading by this much in the internals, why isn't he up by more overall? Why can't Obama lock up the angry old white man vote!?!?!?

Pat Buchanan is already there, and somebody on the Meet The Press panel said that yesterday morning.

Even better: McCain has lost his substantial lead in national security. His lead has dwindled from 15% to 6%. He impulsively sacrificed that when he picked Palin.

People have been speculating that the only thing that can help McCain now is a terrorist attack. I think with Palin on the ticket an attack is only going to highlight how weak McCain ticket is on this issue. You are only as strong as your weakest link.

And just to top things off, the enthusiasm gap is evident once more -- 61% of Obama supporters described themselves as "very enthusiastic" about their candidate, while 38% of McCain supporters said the same. McCain's number is down eight points since early September.

It's a minor point, but I wish poll-takers were asking the enthusiasm question about the ticket. I think enthusiasm for Palin makes that number somewhat better for McCain -- though not a lot better....

A clue to the magnitude of the enthusiasm gap is that the usual right-wing contributers to Washington Monthly threads (eg Orwell) have completely disappeared. Or have they all been banned?

Er, contributors, not contributers.

Do not let up, people. Continue to volunteer time or donate money to the Obama campaign. Now is not the time to sit back at gloat. No matter how good things look we should assume something unexpected will happen to shake up the race.

In the past 40 years, no one has won the general election without also winning Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Can Obama be the first? Posted by: Alphonse

Easily, if these are the only states that McCain wins along with Arizona, Texas and Alaska.

Obama may win by the biggest margin in nearly 30 years.

And while the cursed Electoral College is ultimately the only thing that matters, Obama may score one the largest winning vote totals ever. He may lose by just a few percentage points were he loses, but is poised to win by huge margins everywhere else.

"Obama may win by the biggest margin in nearly 30 years."

It will be great if he does, he's got an impressive ground game. It will teach the Republicans that:

Community Organizers win elections!

I don't see any "fickle factor" addressed in polls. How adamant is the support for Obama by those telling pollsters he has their vote? The electorate has a herd mentality and more than a few are possessed of bovine level intellect. What segment of Obama's 53% would bolt to McCain given the slightest provocation? A terrorist attack? A smear more on the mark, plausible or difficult to skillfully (and factually) repudiate than any yet lobbed? I don't think Democrats have much reason to be sanguine with these poll results.

Poll respondents perceive Obama as the "safer" choice between the two candidates.

Good to see the McCain tactic of labeling Obama as an "other" who no one really knows failed. Miserably.

That's absolutely huge -- in fact, depending on the spread, that may be the biggest deal in the whole thing. In a time of mass uncertainty about ... well, damn near everything, being the "safe" choice is to be the "winning" choice.

Nicely done, Team Obama ... nicely done.

**standing ovation**

Independent thinker: before you send your check read this.

Oddly enough, the McCain enthusiasm gap is the result of Hon. Sen. McCain not going even further into the miasma of irrelevant and scurrilous attacks.

sarah palin will bring out a lot of liberals and independents who normally wouldn't vote, to do so.

she's just frightening... a theocon and a cut-throat political opportunist who lies shamelessly and efortlessly.

creeping American fascism in a perfect blend of style over substance.