Tue, November 04, 2008
In campaign season filled with a record number of public opinion polls, the final polling data for the presidential race may give some clues as to whether Barack Obama or John McCain wins the White House.
Although every national poll gives Barack Obama a solid lead, the McCain campaign says the polls are narrowing-- something John McCain alluded to Monday in Tampa, Florida.
SOUNDBITE: John McCain, presidential candidate, saying (English):
"The pundits may not know it and the Democrats may not know it, but the Mac is back! We're going to win this election."
Barack Obama knows full well that polls don't elect presidents....people do. And that's why he told his supporters Monday in Jacksonville, Florida not to get complacent.
SOUNDBITE: Barack Obama, presidential candidate, saying (English):
"We can't afford to slow down or sit back or let up, 'We can't afford to slow down or sit back or let up, one day, one minute, or one second."
One thing polls can't detect is whether race will factor into the actual election results...That is whether voters who tell pollsters they plan to vote for Obama will then vote for McCain once they're in the voting booth.
Carroll Doherty is associate director of Pew Research.
SOUNDBITE: Carroll Doherty, Associate Director, Pew Research, saying (English):
"We don't think it's much of a factor as it was in the 1980s. But if there was an impact, it would kind of be washed out with Obama's big lead. I mean if it cut his margin by a point or two, that wouldn't materially affect the outcome of the race."
Another unknown is which way undecided voters will break on election day. Should the race be a close one, the approximately 4 to 7 percent of undecideds could determine America's next president.
Jon Decker, Reuters.
