# McCain not as forked as the McCain Forked thread, but still forked **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951 "2008-10-08T03:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/341 "2008-10-21T08:10:31Z")
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I remember that national news organizations don’t broadcast election results until the polls close on the West Coast. They want to prevent people from just staying home, and possibly affecting the outcome of other races. Have they changed that policy? Of course, now people can check results online, but the people interested enough to do that should be interested enough to go vote anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/342 "2008-10-21T10:19:23Z")
This could be the break McCain was waiting for. While Obama is at the bedside of his ailing grandmother and off the campaign trail, McCain could start making more personal attacks! ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/343 "2008-10-21T10:52:54Z")
I can already see the next McCain ad: (deep voice) “Obama suspended his campaign to visit his poor, sick granny. Can we afford such a softie to lead the Greatest Country in the World?” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/344 "2008-10-21T12:28:36Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > I can already see the next McCain ad: (deep voice) “Obama suspended his campaign to visit his poor, sick granny. Can we afford such a softie to lead the Greatest Country in the World?” Freepers say he’s going to Hawaii to kill her. I only wish I were joking. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/345 "2008-10-21T12:42:28Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > Is there anywhere to find a list or map with all the closing times on it. I plan on drinking heavily, either in celebration or to dull the pain, and want to be prepared. [This site](http://www.270towin.com/closing.php) has a list. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/346 "2008-10-21T12:55:59Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Freepers say he’s going to Hawaii to kill her. Why do they think he wants to do that? For the sympathy vote? That’s just freaky. Besides, he wouldn’t do it himself. He’d get the guy who offed Vince Foster to do it. That guy is the best. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/347 "2008-10-21T13:00:05Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Why do they think he wants to do that? For the sympathy vote? That’s just freaky. > > Besides, he wouldn’t do it himself. He’d get the guy who offed Vince Foster to do it. That guy is the best. No, he wants to kill her because she’s the last remaining person who knows he was born in Kenya. Or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/348 "2008-10-21T13:04:40Z")
As of yesterday, [Gallup](http://www.gallup.com/poll/107674/Gallup-Daily-Election-2008.aspx) is reporting an 11-point lead for Obama. The gap is widening. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/349 "2008-10-21T13:12:35Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > No, he wants to kill her because she’s the last remaining person who knows he was born in Kenya. > > Or something like that. I bet the Kenyan voodoo witches are putting a curse on her so she won’t lead the media to them. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/350 "2008-10-21T13:15:32Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > No, he wants to kill her because she’s the last remaining person who knows he was born in Kenya. > > Or something like that. Oh, well that makes perfect sense, then. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/351 "2008-10-21T13:21:21Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Oh, well that makes perfect sense, then. You know you’ve spent too much time at Free Republic when this logic seems fairly solid for them. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/352 "2008-10-21T13:27:05Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > According to the article, CNN and Reuters themselves also participated in the poll. Wouldn’t that counter a lot of whatever Zogby does that makes them so “offensive” in their methodology? > > (This is not just to you, but to the others that commented with something similar.) C-Span, not CNN. CNN uses Opinion Research too conduct their polling. I don’t believe C-Span and Reuters participate per se - they just jointly commission Zogby to run the poll, hence the name. My understanding is that many large news outlets don’t do their own polling, but rather hire professionals to do it for them. In this case it appears it was a traditional Zogby phone poll, not Zogby Interactive, which if they statistics compiled by [538.com](http://538.com) is correct, is roughly middle of the pack in terms of [accuracy](http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/search/label/pollster%20ratings). That same poll shows a ~8% difference just two days later, for the [21rst](http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1600). ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/353 "2008-10-21T13:31:27Z")
i’m hearing that mccain’s camp is rethinking the “no rev. wright” thing. that could backfire a bit. i can’t see what advantage that will give mccain. nor can i see an advantage in upping attacks while sen. obama is in hawaii. i would think that would turn more voters off. the obama camp is having a bit of a bad time with biden’s mother in law and obama’s grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/354 "2008-10-21T13:33:27Z")
I think the complaint about Zogby is that they are using 2004’s election returns in order to weight their current polls. 2004’s returns were really even between Dems and Reps, while most pollsters believe the identification is heavily tilted toward Dems now. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/355 "2008-10-21T14:05:33Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I think the complaint about Zogby is that they are using 2004’s election returns in order to weight their current polls. 2004’s returns were really even between Dems and Reps, while most pollsters believe the identification is heavily tilted toward Dems now. And wouldn’t you know it 538 just put up a discussion of [this](http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/tracking-poll-primer.html). Just one more subjective assessment of course, but interesting reading. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/356 "2008-10-21T14:48:05Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > No, he wants to kill her because she’s the last remaining person who knows he was born in Kenya. > > Or something like that. I just discovered the freepers a couple of days ago. It’s mind-boggling. There seems to be absolutely no counterpoint to the absurdity there–it’s all crazy, all the time. I can’t even be discouraged by it, it’s just too weird. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/357 "2008-10-21T14:56:59Z")
Every once in a while someone will wave a tiny, grudging flag of sanity, and then I wonder what that brave, clear-thinking soul must be thinking about the state in which he has found himself. If you’re the only one at your particular round table suggesting that a current Senator and presidential candidate for two years **just might not** be on an interstate journey to kill his own grandmother in order to cover up the fact that he is ineligible to run for president, it might be time to reassess the company you keep. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/358 "2008-10-21T15:04:22Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Correct me if I’m wrong, but I remember that national news organizations don’t broadcast election results until the polls close on the West Coast. They want to prevent people from just staying home, and possibly affecting the outcome of other races. Have they changed that policy? Of course, now people can check results online, but the people interested enough to do that should be interested enough to go vote anyway. Exactly. There was a kerfuffle in 1980? when the networks called the election for Reagan before the polls closed in California. They don’t do that anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/359 "2008-10-21T15:15:43Z")
Evidence of time to fork, from the [NY Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/us/politics/21poll.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin): > [@NY Time](#): > > Mr. Obama’s favorability is the highest for a presidential candidate running for a first term in the last 28 years of Times/CBS polls. Mrs. Palin’s negative rating is the highest for a vice-presidential candidate as measured by The Times and CBS News. Even Dan Quayle, with whom Mrs. Palin is often compared because of her age and inexperience on the national scene, was not viewed as negatively in the 1988 campaign. Here are the numbers: Candidate Favorable Unfavorable Obama 53 33 Biden 50 14 McCain 36 45 Palin 30 41 In particular, Palin and McCain have seen their favorable ratings decrease or stay flat, and the unfavorable rating increase substantially in the last month. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/360 "2008-10-21T15:29:12Z")
I’ve read today several times that the race is tightening, but I don’t see any change on the online polls. Am I missing something? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951.md?page=19)