Obviously I am entirely out of step with what most American voters (seem to) want in leaders: reduce complex situations to black and white macho, and us vs them sound bites.  Elect people who don't make you feel like you're not one of the smarter people in the room.  Sneer at intelligence, capability and nuance. Elect big daddies, hand over all those bothersome decisions to them and go back to sleep.  Elect people who tell you exactly who's to blame for your troubles and that they're all out to destroy your America.  

So, color me very afraid of the willingness of too many American voters to be sold a bill of goods and elect the wrong people. And the more afraid they are, the more susceptible to stampede politics, I fear.

The quinnipiac poll would prove to be dubious .

Their pre debate poll was not consistent with other polls in all of the states , Obama wasn't ahead in ohio and florida in other pre debate polls , certainly not by 5 - 7 points...

Their post debate poll would soon be contradicted , the ohio one as already been by the surveyusa poll that was done in the same timeframe that has Mccain up by 1...

I just don't see the electorate in those states swinging as wildly as those polls show.

Does it mean "We love Democrats!" or "We despise Republicans!" ?

Does it mean "We think Obama is great!" or "Deities!  Anyone but McCain!" ?

Or does it mean that we are really anxious and Obama makes us significantly less anxious than McCain?

"Sen. John McCain has his work cut out for him if he is to win the presidency and there does not appear to be a role model for such a comeback in the last half century," Brown added. "Sen. McCain's problem is not with this or that demographic group. Although he still leads among white men, albeit by a smaller margin, his problems are across the electorate.

There have been the following phases to the GE campaign. Obama wins the nomination but the Dems are divided. Clinton works to help the divide but it is still there.

Then McCain hammers Obama all of July and it is sticking. Obama is floundering. the election is about Obama - McCain's only chance

Then the Dem Convention was the harbinger of the necessary change from Obama - he started hammering Bush/McCain. The Clinton's give great speeches. Obama kills in his nominating speech and the story is Bush/McCain and Republicans vs. Democrats. Obama soars. Indeed, Obama was where he is now.

McCain takes a calculated gamble - Palin. It worked (I would argue with all of you that it was McCain's best play at the time and the idea that Romney would be making a difference now is silly. On the margins at best.)  Palinpalooza did nothing. And I will show you the polling that proves it. McCain was in the game.

The economy. The ultimate and hopefully final game changer. And John McCain utteredf the most fateful words of the campaign - "the fundamentals of the economy are strong."

That Monday changed this election and decided this election. I do not think there is anything McCain can do now.

Ayers, Wright, Rezko, no birth certificate, that guy who "slept" with Obama that No Quarter was in love with. Chicago thug politics.

all of it. at this point if Palin doesn't win her debate.

they will go negative, they will go negative hard.

Not beyond the realm of possibility.

I picture McCain sinking in the quick sand of public opinion.  He keeps thinking he's digging himself out of his problems, but then he looks around to see that he's just been digging himself deeper and deeper.  He says, "Something's wrong in the world, but I'll show 'em.  I'm a maverick.  I'll dig extra fast with Hulk-like power!"

we know negative ads work, it will tighten the race again.

the question with only about 34 days left, how tight can negative politics bring it before it backfires on McCain.

INDIANA
SurveyUSA    McCain +3 - Obama gains 3

VIRGINIA
Insider Adv    Obama +6 - Obama gains 8
Fox/Ras        Obama +3 - Obama gains 5

COLORADO
Fox/Ras        Obama +1 - Obama gains 3