This presidential campaign has seen more opinion polling than ever. But here’s why Tuesday’s outcome still might be a surprise, as reported by McClatchy Newspapers: Because of the “14 percent of Americans who don’t use landline phones at home, and thus aren’t called by many pollsters.” Because first-time voters and African-Americans could turn out in higher numbers than expected. And because “for every 100 households called, 75 to 80 refuse to be polled or don’t answer their phones.” Another tidbit: 55 percent of cell-only users support Barack Obama. Then again, that percentage was established via polling, which may or may not be reliable.
Some curiosities in the latest SurveyUSA poll of the presidential race in Kansas, which finds John McCain beating Barack Obama big 58 to 37 percent: Supporters of McCain include 21, 20 and 40 percent of Democrats, liberals and pro-choice voters, respectively (are they Hillary Clinton die-hards?). The margin is smallest (1 to 4 percentage points) among moderates and those who go to church only occasionally or “almost never,” don’t own a gun and already had voted when the poll was taken early last week for Wichita’s KWCH, Channel 12, and Kansas City’s KCTV.
The Eagle editorial board wasn’t alone in making the difficult decision to endorse Jim Slattery’s long-shot bid to unseat Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. The Kansas City Star and even two key newspapers in western Kansas, always Roberts country, also went with the Democrat this time. The Star’s editorial board said it was “time for some Kansas accountability,” criticizing Roberts for “tying himself too closely to the now-discredited Bush administration as it went astray on the Iraq war, deficit spending, health care, civil liberties and other key issues.”
The Garden City Telegram similarly blasted Roberts’ role in “reckless Republican spending and borrowing” and said, “the mess we’re in proves it’s time for change.” The Hays Daily News thanked Roberts “for a distinguished, honorable and productive career in public service,” but urged voters “to demand change in the U.S. Senate” by electing Slattery.
Roberts did receive the nods of the Johnson County Sun, Pittsburg Morning Sun, the Hutchinson News and Lawrence Journal-World, which said “his commitment to safeguarding this country and his work on behalf of the best interests of his fellow Kansans is a matter of record.” The Salina Journal’s endorsement concluded: “The GOP needs a strong presence to keep Democrats in check, and Roberts is key to those efforts.” The Hutchinson News endorsed Roberts but with some hesitation: “For all of Roberts’ failures on national issues, the senator has done much for Kansas.”
“Did you all see Barack Obama’s infomercial? It was called ‘American Stories.’ You know why they called it ‘American Stories’? I guess it sounded better than ‘Barack Obama Running Out the Clock.’” – Jay Leno
“John McCain campaigned in the Ohio town of Defiance. Next comes Anger, then, finally, Acceptance.” – Leno
“Insiders of the McCain campaign say that Sarah Palin has gone rogue. Republicans are complaining that she’s not listening to their advice, she’s not taking their notes, and she’s going off on her own and saying whatever she wants. And then when the campaign was asked what they like best about her, ‘She’s a maverick!’” – Leno
“Barack Obama had a half-hour television special. Did anybody happen to see it? It’s a lot of money, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t kid yourself. A half-hour, prime-time network television. I mean, it costs a lot of dough. And they say it was the most money spent by a Democrat for a half an hour since Eliot Spitzer.” – David Letterman
“More Republicans endorsing Barack Obama. Great. Now Republicans will have to suppress their own turnout.” – Stephen Colbert
“Think about it. Just six days (now three days) from today, we’ll know for sure exactly which candidate will be suing the other for voter fraud.” – Leno
“Here’s how it works. Election is Tuesday. And then Wednesday is the first day of Sarah Palin’s 2012 campaign.” – Letterman
This presidential campaign has seen more opinion polling than ever. But here’s why Tuesday’s outcome still might be a surprise, as reported by McClatchy Newspapers: Because of the “14 percent of Americans who don’t use landline phones at home, and thus aren’t called by many pollsters.” Because first-time voters and African-Americans could turn out in higher numbers than expected. And because “for every 100 households called, 75 to 80 refuse to be polled or don’t answer their phones.” Another tidbit: 55 percent of cell-only users support Barack Obama. Then again, that percentage was established via polling, which may or may not be reliable.
