Week Four- The Polls

As the day of election looms close, the nation's anticipation mounts to an almost insufferable degree. Measuring the mood of potential voters are the polls. They can influence the way campaigns are run and how alliances are placed.

According to the most recent gallup poll, Barack Obama leads McCain by a 9-point lead; 51%-42%. This ought to give the Obama campaign a great deal of confidence.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/election2008.aspx

This poll from Election Tracker reveals that Obama does better in coastal states whereas McCain fares better in Midwestern towns. However, Obama still leads McCain by 9%.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/map/polling/index.html

This Rasmussen Reports poll, regarding the Virginia senate election, reveals that Mark Warner leads Gilmore by a whopping 61% to 39%.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_senate_elections/virginia/election_2008_virginia_senate

I can imagine that polls play a large role in political campaigns. They can indicate which base of voters a candidate ought to reach out to more. They can also help garner momentum, as it seems to do for both Obama and Warner in their respective elections. Polls can also be misleading- people who express their political inclinations online do not fully represent all of the voting public. Excessive polling can make some candidates overly confident, giving their opponent an upsurge in underdog sentiment.