[Photos by SAUL MORA, STACEYFIGEL, K/J WILSON, EBATTY & STROH78]
ASSOCIATED PRESS: Roaring toward the finish, Barack Obama presided Sunday over two Colorado rallies that together drew about 150,000 people, a startling turnout in a key swing state. In Denver, the city where he claimed his historic presidential nomination, Obama stepped on stage and seemed surprised at his own following. He saw an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people — the largest U.S. rally to date in an Obama campaign full of them. “Goodness gracious,” Obama said as peered at the human mass in Civic Center Park. Smelling victory, supporters even lined the steps of the Capitol, which was so far away from the stage that the people there needed binoculars just to hope to see Obama. The setting, on a sparkling day in this battleground state, said perhaps more than Obama did in his actual speech. It rippled with the kind of enthusiasm found at victory rallies. MORE
WASHINGTON POST: With just nine days remaining before the election, for McCain to close the margin further would require convincing the dwindling number of “movable” voters to support the GOP ticket. Eleven percent of likely voters said they are undecided or could change their minds before Election Day. Overall, about half of movable voters are political independents, and a slim majority consider themselves moderate ideologically. They are more somewhat more likely to be white than voters as a whole (about nine in 10 compared with about eight in 10 overall). Nearly a quarter (23 percent) are part of that classic swing group, white Catholics (a bit higher than the proportion of likely voters overall, 17 percent in this poll). About two in 10 said they will be casting a presidential ballot for the first time.
These uncommitted voters are even more focused on the economy than voters overall. Sixty-one percent said the economy would be the single most important issue for them come Election Day, but nearly two in 10 said they do not trust either candidate to do a better job managing it. And on the economy, they are divided: 43 percent for Obama and 38 percent for McCain. Complicating the picture for McCain’s team though, is that more than four in 10 of these movable voters already back him, so part of the challenge is to hang onto their support. Moreover, most in this category who do express a preference said the chance they could change their mind is pretty slim. And relatively few of these movable voters live in states where their votes could have an impact: Only about two in 10 live in states decided by five or fewer percentage points in 2004. MORE
TV SHERIFF & COLDCUT: Revolution ’08
[Hat tip to SCOTT BEILBIN]