McCain... ahead?

[BarthelloSylph]

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_c..._tracking_poll

EDIT: This is not intended to be flame bait. Intended to stoke discussion of recent events in the presidential campaign (Obama's overseas trip, McCain's attack ads, etc.)

Unrelated political bashing in 3... 2... 1...

EDIT: LOL CALLED IT.

Real discussion begins late in first page...

[Souj]

let me just say... any polls whatsoever about either candidate in the past, no, and anytime till actual voting takes place, are an absolute waste of time piece of shit garbage made by people paid by other people to make the polls who could be using their time and money for better things.
shit, just make up some numbers and donate the money it would have taken to charity. or go make a poll asking if people like vanilla or chocolate ice cream better. (chocolate duh)

[BarthelloSylph]

Funny, with that attitude, I'd have thought you'd ignored the thread.

[Souj]

Funny, with that attitude, I'd have thought you'd ignored the thread.

or I like to complain
and title could have been about many things.

my comments werent directed at you btw. but how news people think this is news, and/or actually important.

[Tricen]

Isn't this what you wanted for the thread anyways?

[Alleya]

Since when do polls mean jack shit? End of 2007, Hillary was practically the presumptive nominee....then people started voting. Same shit with Guiliani.

[Day]

No I'm pretty sure he wanted a clear, coherent, level headed response as to other's opinion's on this poll. From there he could gather data, analyze it, and form a simple to read pie chart of some sort.

[Souj]

Since when do polls mean jack shit? End of 2007, Hillary was practically the presumptive nominee....then people started voting. Same shit with Guiliani.

so, you say, with polls, hillary was in the lead a "clear winner", but when it came to actual voting she lost.
so uuuh what am i missing?

[BarthelloSylph]

Isn't this what you wanted for the thread anyways?

What I wanted? No. I was hoping for a discussion about the changes over the last few weeks, perhaps a discussion of McCain's attack strategy on Obama, the ramifications of Obama's overseas trip and change on off shore drilling policy...

Is it what I expected? No, but I didn't expect it to become what I wanted

Perhaps a 2008 election subforum should be created, so people don't have to be forced to read and respond to a thread that they don't like

[Day]

so, you say, with polls, hillary was in the lead a "clear winner", but when it came to actual voting she lost.
so uuuh what am i missing?

Nothing? I think that was his point?

[Correction]

What I wanted? No. I was hoping for a discussion about the changes over the last few weeks, perhaps a discussion of McCain's attack strategy on Obama, the ramifications of Obama's overseas trip and change on off shore drilling policy...

Is it what I expected? No, but I didn't expect it to become what I wanted

Perhaps a 2008 election subforum should be created, so people don't have to be forced to read and respond to a thread that they don't like

Yeah real slick. Especially when you never brought any of this up in the OP. Instead you just posted flamebait.

[BarthelloSylph]

or I like to complain
and title could have been about many things.

my comments werent directed at you btw. but how news people think this is news, and/or actually important.

It's not an actual event occurring, you are right. And polls don't elect anyone.

But they do show how recent events, changes in stances, ads, have impacted the likely electorate's opinions and intentions. In that sense, it may not be important, but they can be interesting to some, in order to analyze how effective recent strategy changes in the campaigns have been.

And besides, if someone is taking the attitude that nothing matters until the first Tuesday in November, then threads before then with political headings probably aren't for them.

[BarthelloSylph]

Yeah real slick. Especially when you never brought any of this up in the OP. Instead you just posted flamebait.

Flamebait? To who? Overreact much?

I didn't realize that this was the official Obama discussion forums. If so, please lock.

[Day]

You're an idiot. Mccain is only ahead in age and dick sucking.

[Correction]

Flamebait? To who? Overreact much?

I didn't realize that this was the official Obama discussion forums. If so, please lock.

Unrelated political bashing in 3... 2... 1...

Is flamebait.

Maybe actually looking over your post before hitting 'Submit Reply' would have been wiser.

Polls are always a terrible place to begin an actual conversation on politics. 9th graders in high school learn as much in their Civics or U.S. History classes. You get one chance to open a thread properly and you kind of blew it by practically daring people to bash McCain.

[BarthelloSylph]

Is flamebait.

Maybe actually looking over your post before hitting 'Submit Reply' would have been wiser.

Polls are always a terrible place to begin an actual conversation on politics. 9th graders in high school learn as much in their Civics or U.S. History classes. You get one chance to open a thread properly and you kind of blew it by practically daring people to bash McCain.

Wrong in so many ways. You'll find that much of election discussion is centered around POLLS and how they change in relation to certain events. I know this because I have worked on a campaign before (I know, lolunverifiable RL reference) and polls were one of the most tracked things.

And the only reason I knew there would be bashing is because more people are interested in that (YOU!) then discussion what I had posted. I didn't intend that as being a dare, but more of a prediction. But I'll take your advice and not include that in the future.

[Tyche]

And in college, you learn that a lot of the crap in high school is bullshit. People on the fence are influenced by the voting trends of the masses. Guess where they get information on those trends...As this compaign progresses, you'll notice that before major polls are released there's usually a press release that will get in any last minute swings.

[Correction]

And in college, you learn that a lot of the crap in high school is bullshit. People on the fence are influenced by the voting trends of the masses. Guess where they get information on those trends...As this compaign progresses, you'll notice that before major polls are released there's usually a press release that will get in any last minute swings.

Key phrase bolded. It's just barely August. Neither candidate has a running mate announced. Neither major convention has happened yet, so there is no platform. Polling data right now is entirely a reflection of pre-convention advertising and schmoozing. There's no chance in hell a July opinion poll is going to impact similar polls held in October. The 'rah rah my candidate is ahead' headiness is a side-effect of the torturously long Democratic primary process.

What's changed? Not a hell of a lot.

[Beckwin]

Leading up to and through his foreign trip Obama had a bump in national polls, but that's tapered off at the same time McCain launched a new wave of attack ads. But yeah, it's still pretty early. What I'm confused on is that recent swing-state polls have been overwhelmingly good news for Obama yet the national has slid.

I'm anxious for the veep/convention stuff to get happening though, as even Obama's campaign feels like it's slipping into limbo lately. So far he's done a pretty good job of creating interest but bigger things will help much more.

[BarthelloSylph]

Leading up to and through his foreign trip Obama had a bump in national polls, but that's tapered off at the same time McCain launched a new wave of attack ads. But yeah, it's still pretty early. What I'm confused on is that recent swing-state polls have been overwhelmingly good news for Obama yet the national has slid.

I'm anxious for the veep/convention stuff to get happening though, as even Obama's campaign feels like it's slipping into limbo lately. So far he's done a pretty good job of creating interest but bigger things will help much more.

Finally, some people wanted to actually talk about it!

I think the swing state polls are infinitely more important (lolManBearPig), and you are right Obama has done well there, leading FL in the recent poll. McCain HAS to keep OH and FL, and I doubt it happens.

It does look like the attack strategy McCain has is working somewhat. The recent coverage of Obama puts him above the fray, and so anything McCain can do to drag him back down will help him.

I'm also excited about the conventions, and the VP choice will be interesting to watch. Though historically, VP choice doesn't have much of an impact on the election. I think the key will be - can McCain rally the troops (figuratively) at the GOP convention? If so, maybe we have an interesting election. If not... zzzzzzz.

PS. Correction, message delivered. You don't want to talk about it. See ya around the boards.