Also unlike Dole in 1996, we don’t have a “Perot” in the race to siphon off 5-8% of the GOP vote.
Additionally, unlike 1996, this is a red state-blue state country now. These national polls just aren’t very important anymore. It all comes down to the state by state battlegrounds.
The path is there for McCain to score an electoral college win but easily lose the popular vote by 4-5 million.
Edited to add that Gallup/MSNBC/CNNSI/Zogby, etc. etc. could all be correct on their national polling with Obama winning say 51-47 over McCain in the popular vote. But again McCain could win squeakers in just enough states to reach 270 EV’s.