States, Debates & Running Mates

One week to go until Election Day! After almost two long years of campaigning, we are finally in the home stretch and these days everyone is a political pundit and prognosticator. If you believe the latest polls, we will all be heading to bed early on November 4th with an Obama-Biden landslide victory while McCain-Palin and the GOP receive another “thumpin’” akin to the 2006 midterm election.

What do you think? Want to play pollster? A friend of mine sent a link to PredictNovember.com via Facebook which gives users an opportunity to predict the outcome via their own electoral map. Will swing states like Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida go RED or BLUE? You make the call!

The debates seem like a distant memory. Not sure they helped either candidate, but in my view the real winners were Joe the Plumber (aka Joe Wurzelbacher) and Twitter. In fact, Joe is still making news and is eviently considering launching a Congressional bid of his own vs. Democrat Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur for Ohio’s 9th District U.S. House seat.

In the veep race, Sen. Biden’s warning to “Gird your loins” in preparation for a major international crisis under an untested President Obama raised the ire of political opponents. At the same time, SNL’s Tina Fey had a little fun with Gov. Palin in a doppelganger appearance that seemed to entertain, but didn’t have the desired affect on moving the poll numbers. The Amy Poehler Palin rap was also one that will surely land in the SNL political skit Hall of Fame.

The MSM continues to pile on Palin regarding the RNC’s $150,000 clothing spree for her and her family, failing to mention that she will return or donate them post-election. News also broke recently about McCain campaign insiders who have been calling her a “diva” and a “whack job.” Sheesh!

Sen. McCain is attempting to hammer home the idea that Obama would govern like a socialist by spreading the wealth around, and potentially use the Supreme Court to redistribute it. Today, during a campaign event at Widener University (my alma mater) in Chester, Pa., Sen. Obama hit back saying that spreading the wealth is not socialism, but rather opportunity which is as “American as apple pie.” He continued with his Bush third term narrative and his tired “eight years of failed Bush policies” line. However, I have always believed that politics is more about the future rather than the past. Obama has purchased 30 minutes of television in primetime tomorrow night where he will get one last chance to appear before a national audience to make his case.

Meanwhile, early voting is experiencing huge numbers in 31 states across the country. Some people in North Carolina, Indiana and Florida have been standing in four to five hour lines to cast their vote and some polls are narrowing.

Also, in the waning days, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the “Digital Road to the White House.” Here’s a video that I pulled together for an event that Waggener Edstrom co-hosted with Politico.com at the National Press Club over a year ago.

Whoever you support, just be sure to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, Nov 4th. Whatever the result, I pray for a decisive victory and a peaceful transition that can be a shining example to the world and representative of our great democracy.