Obama's advantage grows, on average

As I was reminded yesterday...yard signs do not vote. I'm adding - neither do polls. Polls can be skewed many different ways depending on who they talk to and how the questions are posed. Make sure you get to your polling place and VOTE Nov. 4th!

Strange, no mention of the AP and other polls that show the race tied. Is this just one more example of the Obama-Media conspiracy to discourage the Republican vote? Or is it one more proof of the adage that there is no relationship between "news" and "truth?"

Read more closely: It says "average'' of the polls. The AP poll is among those counted in the average.

It would be jolly good if Republicans were discouraged from voting this year. The less Republican presidents we have, the better off we will all be. After eight years of crap, I don't really see how they can say they weren't asking for it.

"...one more example of the Obama-Media conspiracy to discourage the Republican vote?"

Conspiracy? Uh-huh, riiight...

The AP poll is flawed, skewed heavily towards evangelical Christians. I believe I read 44% polled were in that demographic group.

Also note the map's source...maybe the next story should read:
"Republican Karl Rove joins Obama-media conspiracy?"

The Tribune is trying to create a self fulfilling prophecy. I wonder what Sam Zell will say to the staff that took him down this path of self destruction. The Tribune has become a marketing machine for BO.

It’s too bad, the Tribune is gone down the tube. Now there isn’t a voice in the press that reflects mine and a lot of others like me. Sammy my boy, we will not forget what you did to our newspaper.

I am delighted to read the skepticism communicated by the comments above. Americans are beginning to think for themselves and not take the journalist's spin. It has been a swim upstream to get realistic information from the MSM. I know how events that I have actually witnessed are exaggerated or reported inaccurately, and I believe sometimes that is deliberate. Why does the MSM have such a stake in Barack Obama?
I am a life-long democrat who began to notice that reports were unfair and biased during the DNC nomination. It's ok for Obama to use the race card as a sword and a shield. IT was ok to use sexism and democrats didn't call him on it. Now, the McCain people have a valid point in going after Obama's character as he has proven to be untrustworthy. He is only giving lip service to policies, so why discuss them. If he wins we wil have "installed" (Michelle Obama's word) a potential dictator supported by glassy-eyed soldiers. The press is supposed to work for the public not an individual.
Obama still refused to settle his birth certificate issue (the one he has provided is a proven forgery) as he knows that he is illegally claiming the presidency. Some of his supporters know that he is cheating,, but look the other way because they are smitten with false hopes. Yes, I would love a unified country, but its working out the differences that made us great. Obama will only drive a deeper division between the races as he as already to openly divide classes, pitting the elite against populists.
I am sick of his whining that the republicans are attacking him. Is he beyond reproach? Some think he is, and therein lies part of the problem.

"the Obama-Media conspiracy"

Yes. Of course... that makes perfect sense.

If McC & Rove can divert just a smidge of the 700 Billion into robocalls and spot cash for votes and some of their other fave tactics, Obama could still lose this election.

Obama's birth certificate a forgery? Yea, he's an alien from another Galaxy. Get off trying to push lies. Just admit you are a bigot.

The REALITY is, McCain was born in the Panama Canal zone and a literal interpretation of the constitution would disqualify McCain!

Sam Zell proved again he's the smartest cookie around when he sold off his real estate holdings last year. Wouldn't you say?
If he supports Obama, what does that say?
That Obama is better equipped to save the country.

Reality, or more like No Reality, when McCain was born in Panama it was because his dad was stationed there as part of the U.S. military. Sorry to upset your sense of irrational knowledge, but the children of U.S. military personnel born overseas are U.S. citizens.

American voters need to send a strong message to eleced officials in Wash.DC that they need to start doing work for the American people and plan for our nation's long-term future instead of playing partisan politics at the expense of our troops lives abroad, our struggling middle-class families here at home, creating more jobs here in America, and rebuilding our nation's infrastructure. Go Obama Biden!

Hi Mark,

Just wondering how much stock you and your colleagues are putting in 538.com. RCP, based on some of its poll cherry-picking this cycle, seems to be vaguely partisan. 538, on the other hand, is admittedly partisan in its analysis, but claims fairness in its numbers: this was reinforced by their excellent analysis of the Dem primaries. Curious about your thoughts.

"Obama still refused to settle his birth certificate issue,,,"

Sen Obama by his own admission stated a few days ago that he was born in Krypton and sent here by his father Joel to save the Planet.

So "cpabooks" if you want to be saved..You better stop your foolishness and get with the program..

"The REALITY is, McCain was born in the Panama Canal zone and a literal interpretation of the constitution would disqualify McCain! "

Okay lets get the facts straight. McCain is eligible because he is a Natural Born Citizen as required in Article 2 of the Constitution.Both of his parents were US citizens so he is a natural born citizen. Also he was born on a military base which is the same as being on US soil. Know the facts before posting.

And although I disagree with the idea that Obama's birth certificate is a forgery. If it is true that he was born in Kenya (which I don't think is the case) he would not be a natural born citizen because his father wasn't a citizen and his mother was below that age that is required to make him a citizen as her child.

Given the miserable job done by Bush and GOP, it should be a Democratic landslide - even though McCain is a cut above our idiot President. Only the potential for racial voting gives McCain any hope.

Sorry to upset your sense of irrational knowledge, but the children of U.S. military personnel born overseas are U.S. citizens.

Posted by: John D | October 25, 2008 12:58 PM

and children born of a democrat would never be able to prove that to boneheads on the right.

The real reason McCain is not an American citizen is that he was not natural born on US soil and his father was really that Panamanian houseboy who was always hanging around.

See, JD, I can do this too!!

See, JD, I can do this too!!

Posted by: ornery | October 25, 2008 4:09 PM

Absolutely......you must be a natural born citizen to run for president and McBush wasn't. The records of his birth and his fathers service have been doctored to look real. Why hasn't the media run this story? Why does the RNC wish to pull this on the American people.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/citizen.asp

Geeze, people, do you think that the Federal Election Commission somehow forgot to verify Obama's eligibility to run for President? Why not try Snopes.com?

The hopeful but delusional complaints about the "bias" of the "main-stream media" (MSM) amuse me. These complaints show how trapped in their own cant and spin these poor people are. Thus we hear intellectually dishonest Rovian phrases like 'liberal leftist elite' (LLE) or "Obama-Media conspiracy" and such other examples generated by the flacks of their party. The repeated use of these phrases and acronyms simply demonstrate nobody's doing any independent thought over there: it's just the same complaints in the the same phrasing. No original thought is shown.
The truth is the news from McCain-Palin is all bad. The right is exhausted and bankrupt of ideas so we hear this type of bleating about how unfair it is. McCain's campign news is bad because his decisions are bad and his administration of his campaign is pathetic. All we can do is read about it.
His campaign exposes his faults and weaknesses. From statements by his running-mate we get the distasteful mitosis of "true" patriots and what I guess is me and those other "false" patriots.
You can't blame the LLE MSM for simply reporting the statements and decisions of your candidates. The candidate's failing are exposed by the campaign. The electorate is showing its wisdom by its choice and so democracy wins.
This country has enough strength to survive a succession of three disastrous administrations. Bush's is the first by stupidly walking into the trap laid by bin Laden. McCain and Palin would bring us deeper into that same trap in continuing the bone-headed war ambitions of their predecessor.

Why I'm voting Democrat
letter to the editor
I’m voting Democrat because like most Americans I trust lawyers more than anyone else; I think only lawyers should run the government, and all the Democrat Leaders are lawyers: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, John Edwards, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Leader Harry Reid, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry, to name just a few. (Al Gore dropped out of Law School, so I don’t trust him as much, except on Global Warming.)

I’m voting Democrat because the Democrats support the trial lawyers and I think this country needs more lawsuits and less tort reform. And I don’t believe the trial lawyers’ contributions have a thing to do with it.

I’m voting Democrat because Congress has done such a wonderful job under Democrat leadership the last two years, that I want a lot more of the same.

I’m voting Democrat because I want to get my health care from the same competent, efficient, cost-effective, customer-service-focused folks who run the US Post Office, the Pentagon, FEMA and the state Registry of Motor Vehicles.

I'm voting Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

I’m voting Democrat because Sen. Obama has promised to cut the taxes of 95% of the people, including the 30% who don’t pay taxes.

I’m voting Democrat because Sen. Obama has promised to take away the secret ballot in union elections, and I think the union bosses should know if a workingman or woman is with them, or against them.

I’m voting Democrat because Sen. Obama has over three years experience in the Federal Government, and “Hope” is a great strategy.

I’m voting Democrat because Sen. Obama voted “present” instead of “yes” or “no” over 120 times in the Illinois State Senate, and I think we need a decisive president.

I’m voting Democrat because I think that drilling for American oil is foolish, when we can buy oil from the Middle East.

I’m voting Democrat because I think windmills (except off Hyannis) are a better answer to reliable, clean energy than Nuclear Energy.

I’m voting Democrat because I don’t think we give enough to other countries in foreign aid.

I’m voting Democrat because I’m for putting up barriers to free trade, as they did in 1930 with the Smoot-Hawley bill. That made things much better then.

I’m voting Democrat because I miss the high unemployment, inflation and interest rates of the Jimmy Carter years.

I’m voting Democrat because parents shouldn’t get to choose the school their kids go to. Parents should leave their children’s education to the teachers and stay out of it.

I’m voting Democrat because I think this is the perfect time to raise the Capital Gains tax and drive investment money out of the stock market.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would, and I want to spread my wealth around to those who earn less—or nothing.

I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

I'm voting Democrat because, when we pull out of Iraq, I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

I'm voting Democrat because I'm not concerned about restoring partial birth abortions so long as we keep all death row murderers alive.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that small businesses should not be allowed to make a profit. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution to people who didn’t start businesses.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe the law is what judges say it is, and not what legislators say -- or the constitution.

I’m voting Democrat because the media would call me a racist if I didn’t.

Robert A. Hall
Des Plaines, IL

Regarding the candidate being born outside of the U.S., both sides are (sort of) correct. A strict reading of the US constitution would disallow McCain; however, a prior presidential candidate (?Al Smith) was born in a foreign country because his father was a diplomat, and it was decided then that U.S. citizens born abroad (at least while in the service of the US government) were legit.

The lie that Obama's birth certificate is a forgery is just that: a lie. Put it next to his Muslim faith, Iraqi WMD's, the inferiority of women and minorities and creationism in the closet of right-wing delusions!

"NATURAL" born

is the issue. That's the words used in the constitution. That has always been interpreted to obviously exclude any "Naturalized" citizen, but we've never had a candidate born outside of the USA. While a US embassy in a foreign country is considered US soil, I don't think a military base is. We lease the space for military bases from the foreign govt.

I personally believe it SHOULD be interpreted as McCain being a natural born citizen. BUT, since some people seem to love to try to create conspiracies on the web about Obama's birth certificate, they should be aware that the same can be done about McCain

FOCUS ON THE ISSUES, not the conspiracy smears. If there was any truth to this birth certificate "thing" don't you think the Clintons would have found it and stopped Obama? THINK!!!

The Why I'm Voting Democrat peice is RICH!

McCain sunk his battleship when he picked the un-polished, barnacle-encrusted Governor of Alaska as his running mate.
He further blew more ballast to his chances when he pulled out of Michigan.
I thought I had seen some poorly run Democratic Presidential runs but this one sinks to depths I've never seen before.

You conservatives are laughable. If the polls showed McCain ahead, you'd be bragging. But they don't show what you want, so they're wrong. You people are jokes! By the way, read the following. Must be more of that liberal media conspiracy.

Four Republicans close to Palin said she has decided increasingly to disregard the advice of the former Bush aides tasked to handle her, creating occasionally tense situations as she travels the country with them. Those Palin supporters, inside the campaign and out, said Palin blames her handlers for a botched rollout and a tarnished public image — even as others in McCain's camp blame the pick of the relatively inexperienced Alaska governor, and her public performance, for McCain's decline.

"She's lost confidence in most of the people on the plane," said a senior Republican who speaks to Palin, referring to her campaign jet. He said Palin had begun to "go rogue" in some of her public pronouncements and decisions.

It's over for the Republicans! Democrats are wipiing the floor with them. Democrats will have complete control once Obama become president. You can party thank your own George w. Bush!.

Change? Don't Count On It From Obama Barack Obama's 2008 campaign mantra is "change," but one Washington journalist challenges Obama's claim to be a reformer. National Review reporter David Freddoso says his reporting found that Obama is no reformer at all, but just a garden-variety ultra-liberal, whose alliances with controversial figures like Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers are more troublesome than Obama wants voters to think they are. But Freddoso argues, in his book "The Case Against Barack Obama," that the Senator gets a free ride from an enamored, liberal media. and you think that he will make a good leader for our country ???????????? think again, this man is sooooooooo racist !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and he wants to spread the wealth ... yes, all of you hard working americans that go to work everyday ... to save, pay bills, 401k well guess what he is going to take it. go to youtube and watch some of this hatred coming out of this mans mouth ... I can not believe Americans want to vote for someone like him... is it the kool-aid or the pipe whichever it is you need to give it up!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank You Mr. HALL ,Now I know why I'm not voting for the democrats.

There needs to be some kind of word limit in these posts, i.e., Suzie, who, as a Republican, doesn't have an original thought in her head. It's called cutting and pasting a link Suze. Try it some time.

KarlRove&CO. part of the left winged biased media? Wow. What's next on the right wing spin agenda?

Why I'm Voting Republican

I'm voting Republican because I don't trust a man of color with a funny name.

I'm voting Republican because the NRA told me they'll come and take away my guns.

I'm voting Republican because I want the rich and large corporations to get more tax breaks than me.

I'm voting Republican because if I'm against abortion, then everybody should be too.

I'm voting Republican because I get all my news from the right wing media echo chamber.

I'm voting Republican because I love banning books and the earth is really only 6000 years old.

I'm voting Republican because anyone who disagrees with me is anti-American.

I'm voting Republican because I love voting against my own best interests.

I'm voting Republican because I haven't learned any of the lessons of the last 8 years.

Robert A. Hall
Des Plaines, IL

Posted by: suzie | October 25, 2008 5:16 PM
_________________________
That all you got? You're down by 13 points and that's all you have? Yawn. 'Scuse me, I have to go to bed early. I'm going to spend the next week knocking on doors in Indianapolis stumping for Obama. I was in Noth Carolina last week. Cost me two weeks vacation from work, but it'll be worth it to see mcBUSh go down.

Wow! All of you people are crazy...and stupid.

The constitution and the supreme courts opinions are like this. A person born of US citizens are just that, US citizens. It doesn't matter where they were actually born because their citizenship was relayed to them by their parents.

There are no exceptions for geography or age.

God, how have we come so far with such ignorant people?

It's amazing to me that anyone who has lived in this state for any length of time, cannot see that Obama has done absolutely squat for us in Illinois.
So what makes you think he can do on a large scale, what he hasn't done on a small one?
wake up people!

The Zogby Poll which comes out Sunday and is generally a good, reliable indicator of the way things are going toward the end has tightened considerably.

Some other polls have tightened, too. My Dems had best not count their chickies before you-know-what. And there is one other intangible that may not figure in until the actual day of voting. And the only people who have dared bring this subject up are members of Senator Obama's campaign and various other Democrat operatives who have been accusing Republicans of it all along.

It's amazing to me that anyone who has lived in this state for any length of time, cannot see that Obama has done absolutely squat for us in Illinois.
Posted by: Derek
-
If Obama did do something for Illinois you'd disparage him for earmarks. So what has Bush done for America these last 8 years? What has McCain done? They've destroyed the economy, lost over 4,000 of our soldiers for oil, and have disgraced the American name.
Wake up Derek!

Thanks for post, Suzie. NOW I finally understand why anyone would vote for the Carteresque Obama.

And to "tried and true American": I can think of at least a zillion better ways to spend two weeks of vacation than knocking on doors...for anyone. Even if your guy wins the election, sounds like you might be returning to the same humdrum loser life that prevents you from doing something more fun with two weeks (assuming, of course, that you actually do have a job). Hey, but whatever floats your boat...

It's amazing to me that anyone who has lived in this state for any length of time, cannot see that Obama has done absolutely squat for us in Illinois.
So what makes you think he can do on a large scale, what he hasn't done on a small one?
wake up people!

Posted by: Derek | October 25, 2008 10:38 PM

__________________________

You are actually saying what Obama has not done "for you", while totally disregarding what Bush, Cheney and McCain has done "to you."

Stop watching FOX!!!!!!!

"It's amazing to me that anyone who has lived in this state for any length of time, cannot see that Obama has done absolutely squat for us in Illinois.
So what makes you think he can do on a large scale, what he hasn't done on a small one?
wake up people!"

When was it that the govt. was supposed to do a whole bunch for me? Keep my roads paved, my military prepped and ensure my laws freedoms. Other than that, what exactly is the government supposed to do for me?

To those who can't see beyond their noses...

Forget Obama for a moment (but not his left-wing idealogy).

What's going to happen to us with a democratic run House under Pelosi, a democratic run Senate under Reid, and a democratic White House under Obama?

Aside from giving pork a bigger meaning, this spells doom in capital letters. Are we having fun yet?

I am voting for Senator Obama, because I don't want 8 more years of the failed policies and gutter politics of the Bush-McCain Republicans !! I am voting for Senator Obama because former Senator Phil Gramm was only partially right, when he stated, we are a nation of whiners. It is actually the Bush-McCain Republicans that are the real whiners, in this election. They are even moaning about how dirty they got, throwing all that garbage at Senator Obama and Senator Biden. I am happy to see that we have so many voters for Senator Obama on this blog !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

I'm voting for Barack Obama because I want change, not another 4 years of Bush.

I thought the dream died with Bobby Kennedy. Could it be that it's come back? Could we really have progressive, intelligent leadership again? As my grandkids now say, OMG!

I am voting Republican because I am a socialist and Bush is a socialist as his tax cuts helped transfer a lot of money to me and out of the hands of those dirty, disgusting middle class people who are so needy. Sheesh...go get your own millions and stop trying to claw back your piddly thousands from my hands.

I would not put much faith in this:

Released: October 26, 2008

McCain gains as race continues to tighten

UTICA, New York – Republican John McCain continues to gain on Democrat Barack Obama, reducing Obama’s lead to 5.3 points with just over a week to go before Election Day, the latest Reuters/C–SPAN/Zogby national daily tracking poll shows.

The race now stands at 49.4% to 44.1% in favor of Obama. Obama led McCain by 9.5 points in yesterday’s report.

“There is no question that this race continues to tighten and that McCain is finding his message again,” said Pollster John Zogby. “It is after all about the economy and that is how McCain tightened it up the last time. I have said over and over again, when he focuses on extraneous issues, he screws up. In today's single day of polling, it was 49% to 46% in favor of Obama. McCain has moved his own numbers each of the three days and Obama has gone down from 54% to 50% to 49%. I have alluded before to this strange, magnetic pull that brings Obama down to 48% or 49%, a danger zone for him. McCain's gains are among white voters, where he now leads by 12 points, and with men, where he again has a healthy lead. There is still a lot of campaign to go. A lot of campaign to go.

There is no question that McCain is eligible. 8 USC 1401(c) defines citizens at birth as including, "a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person."