John McCain can't make it in New York, and he long ago knew it

Let's give John McCain's staff credit for knowing, several months ago, when to fold 'em.

As the Ticket noted at the time, the Republican presidential campaign went through the formality of establishing a campaign headquarters to serve heavily Democratic New York -- and located it in New Jersey. A new survey by pollsters associated with Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., speaks to the wisdom of that move. It shows that among likely voters in New York, Barack Obama enjoys a crushing 36-percentage-point lead over McCain (65% to 29%).

Ronald Reagan was the last GOP presidential candidate to carry New York -- in 1984 -- and Democrats have cruised to victory there in the last four elections for the White House. Obama, though, seems to have a shot at exceeding his party's high-water mark in the state: the 28-point win Bill Clinton posted there in 1996 over Bob Dole and Ross Perot.

Unlike New York, New Jersey once looked like it held some potential for McCain. Back in mid-September, a Marist poll and a couple of others showed him competitive there.

No more, according to the new poll; the numbers from Marist put Obama ahead among likely voters by 17 points (56% to 39%).

McCain is not without his own redoubts. A new poll from South Carolina, for instance, puts him up by 20 points (55% to 35%).

Surveys by the same pollsters -- Winthrop/ETV -- gave Obama the barest of edges, 1 point, in both Virginia (better news for McCain than other recent polls there) and North Carolina (bad news for him in a state that typically would safely be in the Republican column at this point.).

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[scootmandubious]

You really must see the irony here. John McCain is up by 20 points in a state, South Carolina, that pretty much ended his 2000 quest for the presidency, after getting slimed by Bush supporters there, over an allegation that McCain's adopted Bangladeshi child was allegedly his illegitimate black daughter.

So...what does McCain do? He hired those slimers to work for him. And now, he is up 20 in that state.

Doesn't say much for the electorate of South Carolina, does it? Or the integrity of John McCain, for that matter.

Look for the GOP to attempt to suppress the vote in coming days. It has already started. It is also the avowed strategy of the right-wing Conservative movement. Actually, it is their only chance to gain the White House.

I have the video posted of Paul Wyrich, explaining the strategy. Watch it and share:

http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2008/10/gops-remaining-strategy-voter.html

[Alessandro Machi]

There is another irony here as well. Barack Obama basically allows any credit card contribution, even when the person uses a fake name and address. This means while John McCain showed integrity in the presidential gentleman's agreement in how much he would spend over the final leg of the campaign, Barack Obama chose to accept as much money as possible from fake and unknown sources.

In essence, McCain, a war hero, has now been stolen from twice.

http://caucuscheating.blogspot.com/2008/10/barack-obamas-fake-donations-do-they.html

[obamawins]

Obama is also winning by a large margin in California, Washington, Oregon, and most of the New England states. This election is by no means neck and neck. Polls aside, it is in everyone's interest to make it seem closer than it actually is (increases turnout and coincidentally, tv ratings). Obama will win by a landslide.