Sen. Barack Obama has opened up a double-digit lead in the presidential race, with a growing number of voters saying they're now comfortable with the Democratic nominee's values, background and ability to serve as commander in chief, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

For months, the race has rested largely on the question of whether voters could get comfortable with Sen. Obama, the first African-American to run on a major party ticket, and one who has been on the national political scene for just a few years. The Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, has worked to stoke concerns about Sen. Obama's past and his qualifications, raising questions about his rival's character and his association with 1960s-era radical William Ayers. "Who is the real Barack Obama?" Sen. McCain has asked at rallies. The new poll suggests that these attacks haven't worked.

Though most voters polled said that Sen. McCain is better prepared for the White House than the first-term senator from Illinois, there are increasing concerns about the readiness of Sen. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Full story from the Wall Street Journal at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122462257051655701.html

Let's hope people are lying to the pollesters.

quote:

Originally posted by Washington native:
Let's hope people are lying to the pollsters.

Americans are better than that. We have a good nation, state, & especially community in Washington, IN -- a seminal City of freedom & fairness for nigh 200 years. Now go vote!

Depends on what poll you're watching. Rasmussien has it a 3 point lead. If you'll remember Kerry had a 6 (I think) point lead up to election day and we know what happened in the voting booths.

quote:

Originally posted by BowlingInArizona:
National polls are nice for looking at national trends, but they aren't all that useful as a predictor of who is going to win this election, because as most know, it isn't a national election. It's a state-by-state election. A candidate could theoretically win by 1 vote per state in enough states to give him 270 electoral votes, get outvoted "several million to zero" in the remaining states, and still be the one taking the oath on Inauguration Day.

National polls are very useful to people who want to be able to say things like "Bush lost the popular vote to Gore in 2000 but got the Presidency anyway", though. But as for me, I'm going to have my eye on the state-by-state maps for the next 13 days.

How is it looking state by state right now?

quote:

Originally posted by HarleyBabe:
How is it looking state by state right now?

State-by-state is far worse for McCain/Palin than the national popular vote polls.

Here're a couple national electoral maps for you to conveniently compare --

http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/08-us-pres-ge-mvo.php

AND

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/maps/obama_vs_mccain/


First map above shows Obama/Biden leading 286 to 157 w/ 95 electoral votes still in the toss-up category.

Second map has Obama/Biden ahead 286 to 160 w/ 92 electoral votes anybody's guess.

The magic number, as Stace noted, is 270. What's cool is that Indiana for the first time in who knows how many lifetimes is right in the thick of an exciting race. When Indiana went Democrat in 1964 LBJ won the nation by a landslide over an Arizona senator.

If Obama should somehow falter & lose Virginia & New Hampshire, where he had been trailing McCain a few weeks back, the Obama/Biden electoral vote would drop to 269. Let's say McCain also wins all the states shown as Toss-Ups & holds those he currently leads. The Electoral College would be tied 269-269, something that hasn't happened since Thomas Jefferson tied w/ Aaron Burr. The Presidency would then be decided w/ a state-by-state vote in the House of Representatives, which should favor Obama.

In case of a tie the new Vice-President would be selected by the Senate. Joe Biden, who enjoys a majority of Democrats in the Senate as well as several decades of working w/ them, would surely work that crowd to coast to an extra-innings victory.

JB, the only poll giving McCain the advantage is the Commander in Chief poll, all other issues are in the Obama column. Also interesting is the poll that Sarah Palin is a 34% cause for concern while having the same policies as Bush is only a 23% cause for concern in this recent poll. How can it be that Caribou Barbie is a bigger drag on the ticket than GW Bush?!!!!

You guys need to get off the CNN polls. Try realpolitics.com as they list all of the polls and you can get a feel, if you believe in polls that much!

quote:

How can it be that Caribou Barbie is a bigger drag on the ticket than GW Bush?!!!!

It's a democrat thing! Now they're upset because she dresses nice. I can just see this country if the democraps control, we'll all be wearing uniforms, work for the gov't. and get an allowance. They'll have to have their noses in every aspect of our lives.

It's funny you'd say that because blow-hards like Rush still refer to John Edwards as the Breck Girl and make constant fun of how he would talk about being from such a humble background and preening in front of the mirror to get his hair just right.

BUT NOW, when it's just your ol' friendly hockey mom, it's a Democrat problem or hypocrisy. Right....

Both types of criticism are groundless, but you're going to get all worked up about it and blame all the usual suspects.

This all has an eerie 2004 feel to it if you ask me.

quote:

Originally posted by blakejohnson:
This all has an eerie 2004 feel to it if you ask me.

Yeah, Obama creamed his elderly opponent in 2004 by something like a 70-27 margin.

To be fair, the '04 win might have had more to do with the carpetbagger replacement for the sexual deviant he had previously been way behind against.

Right on, Eric -- welcome to the rootin' tootin' WTH Forum!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jethro Bodine:

there are increasing concerns about the readiness of Sen. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

How about the concerns of a Marxist disguised as "change"? How about his professing his "I love my country" when he as 20 years associations with organizations and individuals that hate America? Or is that too convenient to just pass off?

You and all of the defenders of this Marxist change candidate will be eating your words if ACORN can steal the election for him.