Monday, September 8, 2008

Convention Hangover

After an intensive couple weeks of politics with the ill conceived idea of back to back conventions,, I am drained from writing and watching anything politics. I watched half of Joe Biden's Meet the Press interview yesterday and couldn't focus.

The result will be a week or so of shorter blogs while I wait for Obama or Palin to say something that fires me up.

Here is what we can say for sure though.

The Democrats decision to have their Convention the week before the Republicans really ate their 'bounce'. The party that gets to go last has the advantage and after the more hopeful message of Denver, the Republicans played it right to blast away and have McCain come in with a more 'unifying' speech at the end.

The publicity stunt of the Palin VP pick also did it's job in the short term to eat into the Dem's convention boost than in years past.

The Palin, I mean McCain convention has apparently given McCain a solid boost heading into this week with a 54-44 lead in the latest Gallup poll.

Those who have read this blog know I talk very little about polls as I just don't believe in them that much. As someone who used to work campaigns I have worked the ground where the polls had us down the night before the election by 3 points and we won by almost 20 points. Have seen polls the day before the election that had us up 15 points and we won by only 5.

Presidential polls carry even less weight for me. We see a 1, 3, or 10 point spread nationally and but as Al Gore learned, the national vote doesn't mean shit. You have to win states and this year there are more states that are up in the air than ever before.

But I for one, am worn out from the last two weeks and want to see all the candidates have to face tough questions and scrutiny the rest of the way.

The conventions were great theatre and watched by millions which encourages me that we may actually have a genuine big turnout.

The race is on and it's gonna be one hell of a ride.

1 comment:

Sarah said...

Every day on my way home from school, or my way to work there is a guy standing on one of the busy intersections holding a sign. Each day it says something different. Today it said "Palin fools fools"

I love democracy.