Something extraordinary is happening. Miraculous even. Despite a Pravda like press cleaning up Obama's interviews, running Obama press releases as news, blacking out blockbuster Obama scandals like Rezko, condemned (and fatal) housing projects, treacherous support for Odinga, COLB questions, illegal foreign campaign contributions, terrorist Ayers, Nation of Islam allegiances, Farrakhan support, Black Panther support, Auchi, terrorist campaigning via phone banks for Obama, a Hamas endorsement, that he still would have opposed the surge. etc all this while working in tandem with a cultural psyop on the national psyche in stores, celebrity magazines, and his marketing war machine consortium -- the race is a dead heat and McCain is picking up steam.
That's a miracle. McCain made eight trips overseas and crickets chirped. Late night television hosts 
refuse to joke about the Obamessiah. The Obama camp plastered posters at at the holiest of holies - the Kotel (!) Obama is campaining in Europe while McCain campaigns at truck stops and the race is a dead heat. Miracle.
McCain has barely discovered the internet while Obama has the internet giants so in the tank, google is actually deleting anti-Obama sites and images of the his certificate of live birth while raising 200 million on the net.
Media donations favor Democrats 100-1 and still McCain is pulling ahead.
Altogether now - Hallelujah!
Reader Rudolph wrote me, "Something interesting happened this morning. I heard on the radio that McCain was closing the gap on Obama in four key battleground states, and was actually ahead in Colorado. I was very surprised to hear this, given the media adulation and coverage of his trip abroad and the fact that he was already considered (or at least, anointed) our next President by the Europeans. Every morning, I read my Washington Post after it is delivered; I go to the NY Times site during the day. (Of course I pick up the Washington Times every day at the newsstand). The press coverage of Obama has been amazing. I’ve never seen anything so one-sided and so adoring of one candidate.
Then, I heard about the poll this morning. It was the battleground state poll by Quinnipiac. McCain has now inched ahead in Colorado, and stands to make it more competitive in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
So, even with all the news about the highly efficient well-oiled and well-financed Obama campaign, the dull, plodding, inept and less well-financed McCain campaign,
McCain is still in the thick of it.
I can’t see McCain’s issues of strength—foreign affairs and defense and energy prices—receding before the election.
Based on the aggregation of this polling data, Obama is already having trouble breaking through with middle aged and older white women; McCain’s gaining strength with white men. McCain’s strengths are on energy prices and foreign affairs.
I thought it might be interesting to see what is actually happening notwithstanding the hoopla over Obama’s foreign trip and cheering European crowds"
Arizona Sen. John McCain has inched ahead of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in Colorado; come within inches in Minnesota and narrowed the gap in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to four simultaneous Quinnipiac University polls of likely voters in these battleground states, conducted in partnership with The Wall Street Journal and washingtonpost.com and released today.
And this in spite of the frightening Democrat "Colorado Model".
Voters in each state say energy policy is more important than the war in Iraq. And by margins of 22 to 31 percentage points, voters in each state support offshore oil drilling, and by seven to 12-point margins, drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge.
Sen. McCain has picked up support in almost every group in every state, especially among independent voters and men voters. The Republican now leads Obama among independent voters in Michigan and Minnesota. Overall results show:
Colorado: McCain is up by a nose 46 - 44 percent, compared to a 49 - 44 percent Obama lead June 26; Michigan: Obama tops McCain 46 - 42 percent, compared to a 48 - 42 percent lead last time; Minnesota: Obama edges ahead 46 - 44 percent, compared to a 54 - 37 percent Obama lead; Wisconsin: Obama leads McCain 50 - 39 percent, compared to 52 - 39 percent.
"Sen. Barack Obama's post-primary bubble hasn't burst, but it is leaking a bit. It's been a good month for Sen. John McCain. His movement in these key states, not large except for Minnesota, jibes with the tightening we are seeing in the national polls," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"The good news for McCain is that he has improved his standing in Colorado and Michigan, two states that are critical to each man's strategy. Obama wants to break through in the Rocky Mountain and Southwestern states that have been going Republican for decades. McCain sees recently Democratic Michigan as his top takeaway target," Brown added.
"One reason for McCain's progress may be the energy issue. The results show increased support for additional drilling - which McCain supports and Obama opposes. Roughly one in ten voters say they have changed their minds and now favor drilling because of the jump in energy prices. They support Obama, but with voters saying that the energy issue is now more important to their presidential vote than is the war in Iraq, this group represents an opportunity for the Republican.
You can read the entire Quinnipiac report here:
