Two Weeks to Go; Two Point Race

AOL News ^ | 20 Oct 2008 | Mark Impomeni

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Despite the best efforts of the national press and liberal commentators to declare the presidential race over, Sen. John McCain is within striking distance of Sen. Barack Obama as the campaign winds it way into the final two weeks. A look at the Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Obama's lead shrinking to less than 6 points for the first time in ten days. Six of the last nine polls recorded in the national average show Obama ahead by five points or less. And two recent polls show the race tightening even more; with Obama clinging to just a two point lead in one survey, 44-42%, a statistical tie with his allegedly dead-in-the-water opponent.

The accompanying article, run in a host of media outlets across the country, buries the results of the poll behind a blizzard of responses about the candidates' likability. The Associated Press, which conducted the poll, did not see fit to mention the top line number on the presidential race in its official report of its own findings. But the poll's result was confirmed by another survey taken in the same time frame. The Gallup daily tracking poll showed the race at a two point lead for Sen. Obama, 49-47%, just this past Friday.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

The FReeper-predicted tightening of the polls is occurring, because the pollsters have to now at least make an effort at being semi-accurate, since the last two weeks are what everyone pays attention to.

[varmintman]

We have to assume the polls are bought and paid for by the DNC.

[Murp]

Unless they have changed it RCP has the battleground poll buried way down the list of polls. Wonder why?

[SuziQ]

If I’m not mistaken, the Battleground Poll is usually the most accurate of all of them, because it uses a more realistic sampling of voters.

[SuziQ]

I just went to the Tarrance Group website, and the poll there, as of 10/8, shows the race to be Obama 48, McCain 47, with about 6% undecided. It going to take a massive GOTV by Republicans, but we can pull this thing off!

[Kevmo]

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