MJDAOG

I started following and supporting his candidacy back in December 2007 and have been glued to the news all year long, watching him take on the Clinton and Republican machines and shrugging them off with class and style the whole way. I've been so inspired by this man. I can't wait until 11/4, to hear John McCain concede, and to run outside and get drunk all night.

With 25 days to go, the polls have Obama ahead by 5.6 points in the national poll and ahead in 7 of the 8 battleground states still in play, of which he only needs to win 1 to take the White House. His favorables are up. John McCain's are down. Barack and Joe Biden have won all 3 of the debates that have taken place thusfar. Everything is starting to point to an Obama landslide, with very little time left for things to change meaningfully.

Just Win One

Right now Barack has 264 electoral votes looking solid. He only needs 270 to win, meaning he needs to win 1 of the 8 final battleground states still up for grabs.  From West to East, they are Nevada, Colorado, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. George Bush won all 8 of these in both 2000 and 2004, but the polls currently show Obama ahead in all of them except Indiana. Obama only needs to win ONE of these 8 to win the presidency. I hope it's my home state of Colorado that puts him over the top.

A Silver Lining In the Economic Meltdown

More than anything else, Obama's surge in the past 3 weeks is due to an external force- the current economic crisis that has caused more than 69% of Americans to cite the economy as their #1 issue in this election. The perception, whether real or imagined, that John McCain is an extension of the last 8 years of economic policy has created a political landscape where it's almost impossible for him to win. By default, Obama is the beneficiary. You won't hear me complaining.

The Only Thing That Keeps Me Up At Night

There's still 1% of me that worries that a country that was able to elect George Bush TWICE is still capable of letting latent intolerance seep into their vote. Should we worry that a meaningful number of people are saying one thing in public to seem tolerant, but when they're alone in an anonymous voting booth, they'll suddenly feel less comfortable casting their vote for a black man? (exhale) I know I'm wrong on this... I better be.