If crowds are a barometer, McCain's losing to Obama there too

John McCain and Barack Obama increasingly seem to be operating in separate political universes.

Obama continues to draw jaw-dropping, record-shattering crowds while McCain struggles to fill small venues. The contrast was most glaring Saturday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a state McCain desperately needs for the inside straight draw he needs to reach the 270 electoral votes necessary for victory.

That day, McCain pulled fewer than 1,000 people to a sun-dappled plaza in the New Mexico State Fair grounds despite the campaign’s best efforts to drum up a crowd. That evening, Obama drew what police said were about 45,000 to a rally several miles away –- and more than tripled that total the next day at two rallies in Colorado, another battleground state.

For a video diary of a campaign day on the trail with...

...John McCain, view this video.

Polls seem just as lopsided. The most recent average of national polls, compiled by realclearpolitics.com, indicates Obama is up 7.6%, and up in the key battleground states of Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia –- all states that President Bush carried in 2004.

So it seemed odd to hear McCain insist to Tom Brokaw on NBC’s "Meet the Press" that the race is tightening and he is doing “just fine.”

A campaign official, speaking on background, later explained the internal polling numbers that McCain’s campaign has collected. Their data show McCain down only 4 percentage points nationally –- a sharp improvement from a week ago -- and closing fast. They also show him down only 3 percentage points in Virginia, and up 1 in Ohio, North Carolina, Florida and Missouri.

The Arizona Republican needs to capture all five states. Assuming they lose in Pennsylvania, which the campaign believes is probably out of reach now, McCain needs to pull 10 more electoral votes out of some combination of Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico or Iowa -– all states where even the internal numbers look bleak.

“Check with me Wednesday,” the official added. “If we’re still within the margin of error, we’re going to win.”

-- Bob Drogin

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Comments

[chuck]

If bootlicking is any indication them you and the AP are more than likely vying for front row seats at the WH press conferences. Your biased reporting and mudslinging against republican candidates is sickening and shows a real moral downward slide on the part of whats considered MSM in this country.

[JW]

“Check with me Wednesday,” the official added. “If we’re still within the margin of error, we’re going to win.”

So, does this mean they are going to steal the election if it's within the margin of error?

[p3snooper]

Yawn.....

[Linda Alabama]

Big crowds of the same people. ACORNS 'little nuts' travel to each and every rally to ensure visiblity of 'high number count'. That is one of their 'get out the vote perks'! I live in Alabama and have heard of several large groups organizing for 'crowd support' all over the country. So once again, all is not as it seems. Judging by your headline you have bought into the program...again.

I am sure it is part of the "Ground Game" by the "Community Oranizer". Obama must have watched "The Music Man" one too many times!

[McSlain]

He's delusional.

[ronbo4]

Gerald Ford had large crowds too and he lost just as Mr. Tax and Spend Obama will. I smell smoke - there are just too many questions about this man - questionable assiciations all over the place + ACORN; and he has this Robin Hood mentality where he wants to take our money and give it to those who will not work or willl not work enoungh to get ahead. Shame on you if you do not investigate the truth. Try "flopping aces" for one site - they archive and you can discover a ton about his ecomonic plans. Shame on you if you do not!!!

[DezDiggler]

True. But i would imagine that the majority or McCain supporters are too busy doing their part to try and secure a future for their family, instead of trying to rally for the one who promises to give money to those that wont.

[FRIEDA]

LOVE THIS PHRASE...FINALLY MCCAIN PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING INTERESTING...BUT IT MAY BE TOO LATE:

Europeans call it socialism, Americans call it welfare, and Barack Obama calls it change

[patric, phx, AZ]

....lol...I think even the writer of this article believes McCain and his crew are smoking something really strong to still think they are that close to winning.

[KT]

Whoever wins is going to have one helluva job sorting out the economy. Not sure Main Street has seen the worst yet?

[Proud Dem]

Keep dreaming,McCain.It's going to be a landslide.

[willy]

People on the dole and looking for something free show up in droves to anything.

Crowds? That wasn't election day. I voted in early voting yesterday, and the line was out the door. BTW, NOBODY that I talked to, and that was several, voted for Obama.

[Yar]

I was there with my wife in Albuquerque. We were thirty feet from the podium. We have never been in such a large group of people in our lives. It was electrifying. We are part of history now. This is a new day and we are proud to be part of it.

[Tedious]

The people who are most likely to vote for McCain are also the least likely to attend a rally and to participate in a poll.

I'm praying for an Obama win, but rallies and polls don't quite tell the whole story.

[dragonfly777]

So the people do not care if a racist, radical Muslim wants to be the President, Then they deserve all the downfalls thet have only started to come to them. With unimaginable stupidity and turning a blind eye will cost dearly. I say them becasue I am no longer a we when it comes being blind. I will never support the Dems racist, sexist and socialist Obama. My son will not serve under a Muslim and anti-American a@@hole,

[wolf]

The only area where McCain and Palin are surpassing Obama - is the amount of garbage and false issues that they're pushing.

[NinaK]

The ONLY time McCain draws a somewhat impressive crowd is when he and Palin campaign together. I am of the belief people show up to the 2-candidate rallies is more out of curiousity to see Palin; once she hands the microphone to McCain, the crowd starts "trickling" out of the rallies. McCain has lost ALL credibility; he has lied so much s often that very few people bother to listen to him. His nasty, malicious, and slanderous attacks on Senator Obama have been just that and people, for the most part, are ignoring him and Palin. McCain & Palin have NOTHING to offer Americans so they resort to their trash-and-burn tactics to besmirch a great man who is head andshoulders above the two of them together!! UGLY is as UGLY DOES = Johnny and Sarah!

[Pyre]

McCain's confidence might remind one of W's confidence on Election Night 2000, even in the face of exit polls showing Gore got the majority of voters in crucial Florida.

W's confidence was well founded, because of how that election was run. Getting the majority of voters did not mean getting the majority of counted ballots.

So one might well wonder whether McCain's confidence has the same basis.

[Jane]

I would have gone to Obama's most recent rally, but I knew there would be huge crowds and it's dreadfully cold here. I was right---they were lining up 10 hours early in 40 degree weather to see Obama! I'm fairly shocked that McCain only drew a thousand people on a warm sunny day.

[Nick]

From Chuck to p3snooper to dragonfly, I'm pretty convinced that there is a radical right that would accuse a door knob of having a liberal bias if it got a touch difficult to turn.

This story is as straight-ahead as they come. If readers are going to dispute the information provided, I'd encourage them to provide some substantive sources of their own.

Talk is cheap, especially when you can cut and paste it from your favorite right wing talk show host's echo chamber on the internet.

[Webster Ranger]

dragonfly777: "So the people do not care if a racist, radical Muslim wants to be the President, Then they deserve all the downfalls thet have only started to come to them. With unimaginable stupidity and turning a blind eye will cost dearly. I say them becasue I am no longer a we when it comes being blind. I will never support the Dems racist, sexist and socialist Obama. My son will not serve under a Muslim and anti-American a@@hole,"

You seem to have little confidence in the FBI and Secret Service under a Republican administration, who have already vetted Obama thoroughly as a member of the US Senate and as a Presidential candidate. Every statement you have made about Obama has been proven false over and over again for months. Did you just crawl out from under a rock? It's time for you to crawl back.

[Deef]

"I voted in early voting yesterday, and the line was out the door. BTW, NOBODY that I talked to, and that was several, voted for Obama."

Wow Willy. I guess all the polls must be wrong, since your sample clearly disproves the preponderance of statistical evidence.

[steve rodriguez]

America can't afford Obama's welfare state!!!

[steve rodriguez]

Is Pres. Obama gonna let Lois Farrakhan, Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers use the Red Phone on their White House visits?

[Belltribe]

From Linda Alabama
--------------------------
...Big crowds of the same people. ACORNS 'little nuts' travel to each and every rally to ensure visiblity of 'high number count'.
--------------------------

Yeah, I think you're on to something there Bama, 45,000 people traveling state to state to make the crowds look bigger. Holy sh*t, have you filled up your car lately? What else have you heard living in Candyland?