How is that the least bit relevant? All of those polls clearly under-estimated McCain since they showed a smaller margin than the actual one on election day. With 56% of the vote while losing by 7% (it isn't 8% now, is it?) it is at least very likely that he could have broken 60% in a close race. Certainly not ridiculous.
Nym, I'm not sure what you're saying here. While I agree that it is incorrect to say "McCain would've won if not for the financial crisis" I think it would have been pretty close if the financial crisis had not occurred. Obama would, most likely, still have been favoured but not by this kind of margin.
Oh, sure, it definitely would've been closer. I'm saying that Obama would've still won; just by more of a Bush 2004 margin than by a Clinton 1992/1996 margin. Many Republicans seem to claim that McCain would've won if not for the crisis (as they seem to assume that his GOP convention bounce would never wear off before Election Day, surviving through the debates and such).
