Why are we already deciding certain campaigns are dead?

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I mean, seriously, I'm into this stuff and even I don't think it's close enough to anyone actually casting a vote for these polls to mean anything.  How many people do you think polled are waking up everyday and having the '08 primaries first on their mind?

These polls are still all about name recognition, and little else.  Can we wait until Nov./Dec. to start burying campaigns? 

I mean, everyone here is assuming that the McCain campaign is completely dead, but if you talk to most people in this country they still have a pretty positive view of him.  Hell, I do. 

[Bay Ridge, Bklyn! Born and Bred]

I mean, seriously, I'm into this stuff and even I don't think it's close enough to anyone actually casting a vote for these polls to mean anything.  How many people do you think polled are waking up everyday and having the '08 primaries first on their mind?

These polls are still all about name recognition, and little else.  Can we wait until Nov./Dec. to start burying campaigns? 

I mean, everyone here is assuming that the McCain campaign is completely dead, but if you talk to most people in this country they still have a pretty positive view of him.  Hell, I do. 

the fact that you're a "proud liberal from the Northeast" who likes John McCain is the reason why his ship is sinking

[SPC]

I just find it to be next to impossible for McCain to improve his image within the next six months.

[Boris]

McCain's biggest problem is that he is viewed unfavorably by a significant minority (about 40% according to Rasmussen) of his own party. Additionally, he has become the President's (who has an approval rating in the 20s) biggest cheerleader on Iraq and Immigration, the issues that he's probably the most hated for. Add in McCain's financial problems and steady decline in the polls and you have a 'dead' campaign.

Does this mean McCain is dead in the water and should withdraw from the race? Of course not. Anything can change in the five month duration between now and Iowa.

[Mr. Morden]

As you can tell from the "generic election predictions" in my signature, I think most pundits (and people on this forum) go way way too far in their assessments of how much they know about how future election campaigns are going to play out.  (To the point of thinking they know exactly how every state would vote, given any pair of candidates!)  Sure, there are some candidates who are big favorites over others.  But people take this too far....making it sound like they are 100% certain that their predictions will come true.

Then, of course, if things don't turn out the way they predicted, they'll say "But no one could have predicted this one particular event, that changed the whole nature of the race.  There's no way I could have seen that coming, so you shouldn't hold my incorrect prediction against me."  Well duh...*every* election campaign includes unexpected events.  Did it ever occur to you that maybe you should have just qualified your predictions more carefully in the first place?

[Eraserhead]

This post is really about Edwards not McCain right?

[poughies]

This post is really about Edwards not McCain right?

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

This post is really about Edwards not McCain right?

no, mccain, edwards, richardson, any campaign that is presumed dead b4 it has started

[poughies]

This post is really about Edwards not McCain right?

no, mccain, edwards, richardson, any campaign that is presumed dead b4 it has started

Richardson's campaign hasn't been declared dead..... Some may question whether it ever started, but I would say its less dead than McCain's at this point...... Dodd has a dead campaign (VP anyone)?

[SPC]

This post is really about Edwards not McCain right?

no, mccain, edwards, richardson, any campaign that is presumed dead b4 it has started

Richardson's campaign isn't dead. It is actually making progress in the polls (especially in IA, NH, NV, FL), despite his poor debate performances.

[auburntiger]

McCain will not get my vote, precisely because of his views on illegal immigration. My vote will go to either Giuliani or Thompson. right now, I lean towards giuliani. Even if Thompson gets in, I'll still in the end, at this point in the race, vote Rudy. I know it's easy to take this position, but I have become more dissillusioned with President Bush by the day...the sure way for the GOP to lose is to put up another Bush-esque candidate. I think Thompson should be Rudy's VP...experience factor

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

This post is really about Edwards not McCain right?

no, mccain, edwards, richardson, any campaign that is presumed dead b4 it has started

Richardson's campaign hasn't been declared dead..... Some may question whether it ever started, but I would say its less dead than McCain's at this point...... Dodd has a dead campaign (VP anyone)?

It's dead in the sense that most people I talk to are basically conceding the whole thing to Clinton. and in the media there is no race other than Clinton vs. Obama. 

I'm just making the point that we are months away from anything meaningful...

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I mean, everyone here is assuming that the McCain campaign is completely dead, but if you talk to most people in this country they still have a pretty positive view of him.  Hell, I do. 

Why? He's a complete hack.