The Road to the Presidential Election: Day Four

derStandard.at: Wer wird nächster Präsident?

Baranski: Obama könnte die Mehrheit der Stimmen bekommen. Was bei weitem nicht heißt, dass er damit auch Präsident wird. Nicht nur wegen des Wahlsystems. Denn bereits 2000 und 2004 haben wir ja gesehen, wie leicht es ist, das Ergebnis "zurechtzubiegen". Die Wahlcomputer sind leicht zu manipulieren, und man braucht das ja nur in ein paar Bezirken zu tun.
Das alles mag paranoid klingen. Doch die an der Macht wollen ihre Position nicht aufgeben. Da steht zu viel auf dem Spiel. Eigentlich sollte die UNO die Wahlen beobachten. Doch dafür ist es mittlerweile zu spät.

DerStandard, 30. Oktober 2008

Wal-Mart women. Dude. I wonder what they'd call me. "Barely spends 20 bucks a week on food yet gets bio-vegetables delivered by a farm to her doorstep every second Thursday" probably. [Biokistenlinke. So vielleicht.]

"McCain aides say a victory Tuesday is still possible. Some national polls have shown a tightening of the race, with Sen. Obama's lead down to as little as three percentage points. Bill McInturf, Sen. McCain's chief pollster, argued this week that Sen. McCain is closing the gap in battleground states, gaining among non-college-educated men, rural voters, abortion opponents who vote on that issue, and Democrats who do not strongly identify with the party.
Mr. McInturf also says the campaign is seeing improvement with what he calls "Wal-Mart women," women without a college degree in households earning under $60,000. McCain aides say that his new focus on taxes, an argument centered on "Joe the Plumber" and his fears of rising taxes under Sen. Obama, is finally resonating."

Wall Street Journal: McCain Pins Hopes on Getting Party Faithful to Polls in Ohio, 31. Oktober 2008

And that's perhaps why:

"There are a lot of reasons for campaign aides to be engaging in self-delusion. The press is full of stories about how badly it has been run. Peddling the idea that things are working well enough to close the gap in polling helps buck up the campaign. Plus, after two years of campaigning, no one wants to be forced to go through the motions just for the sake of appearance, so if they believe they're making progress (regardless of whether they are), it's easier to get out of bed in the morning."

Slate: Don't Worry, Be Happy, 29. Oktober 2008

Auch eine Empfehlung vor den Wahlen: "Deadwood". Drei Staffeln HBO-Drama, grindig im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes, über die Entstehung der Vereinigten Staaten (unter Umständen in Kontrast zu "The West Wing"?)