Can Obama just ride it out?

Fifteen days until the election and Obama is still ahead in the polls, despite a narrowing lead. Does the Obama campaign have room to lie back and ride out the November election wave? With the importance of this election to so many people, I think Obama and his supporters would be smartest to campaign more diligently than ever in these last two weeks. Luckily for them, the Obama campaign agrees with me. CNN reported today that supporters are working as fervently as ever to secure an Obama win with phone calls and canvassing.

Political analysts and contributors on CNN refrain from making any predictions, and they often express an attitude that says anything can happen in the next two weeks.

On October 16 Bill Maher warned viewers of overconfidence on CNN's Larry King Live, saying,

"We should not become overconfident...I think what's sad is that apparently the only way we can elect a Democrat is if there's an absolute and utter calamity. And then people get it through their heads--Oh, you know what maybe this time we don't elect the guy we want to have a beer with. We have to get serious. We may even have to, God forbid, vote for the black guy."

Maher goes on to explain the opposite of the Bradley Effect, or the Reverse Bradley Effect. Normally, the Bradley effect says that people don't want to appear racist, and so they don't say they won't vote for Obama. But the Reverse Bradley Effect is said to occur when people who are ashamed to admit they are voting for an African American but behind closed doors actually are voting for that person. Maher uses the example of racists who realize Obama has better policies, and suggests that this will bring an advantage to Obama on November 4.

Whether the Obama campaign can rely on the Reverse Bradley Effect or not, CNN is definitely getting brownie points from Obama supporters this week for positive coverage.



On October 16, McCain and Obama's speeches at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner showed the lighter side of the campaign trail. Both made comedic speeches mainly taking jabs at themselves and sometimes each other. The coverage showed both candidates in a personable, more favorable light than the recent attack ads have shown.


To further Obama's positive coverage, Colin Powell endorsed Obama on Sunday, which CNN analysts say will serve as a catalyst for increasing Obama support from independent and undecided voters. Wolf Blitzer even added that Powell's endorsement confirms Obama's "innate ability to be commander-in-chief."


It may seem like the poll margin is crunching, but CNN seems to be providing more positive coverage as the campaign trail comes racing to an end. Is the Obama campaign happy with the coverage? I'm not sure, but if I were David Plouffe I'd be pretty satisfied. Not only are the campaign messages getting out, but CNN is pushing other positive, ancillary messages through the tube, for the left wing's viewing pleausure.