Aired LIVE during “Fox News Rising” October 27, 2008

According to a recent CBS/New York Times poll, Senator Barack Obama leads Senator John McCain by 13 points, indicating that this presidential election is practically over. An Associated Press presidential poll conducted the same day shows that Senator McCain has overcome his challenges, narrowing the gap to a slim one-point deficit that reflects the campaign chant, “MAC IS BACK.” Newsweek says that “MAC IS FLAT”, showing a 12-point deficit for the Republican nominee. And, of course, in the Super Bowl of polling, CNN’s “Poll of Polls” has the margin around seven percent in favor of Senator Obama, enough to make it tough on the GOP ticket these last 8 days but a difference that can be overcome by November 4^th.

This is why the “P” in “politics” has to stand for “people”, not “perception.” In an election cycle where the polling information has increased by 300% versus the amount available in 2004, voters can find themselves feeling like they’re part of a great Fox classic. The truth is out there – somewhere. Lost in the polling bounces from Governor Palin’s wardrobe adventures and Senator Obama’s dance steps on “Ellen” are key issues that the polls often miss.

For example, when Senator McCain debated “that one” on October 7^th and mentioned how “that one” voted for big tax breaks for oil companies, was it more important to you that Senator McCain highlighted some apparent hypocrisy in Senator Obama’s populist stance against Big Oil or was your focus on McCain’s dangerous – and unintentional – dance with the term “those people” when failing to address Obama by name?

Or did you notice how Senator Joe Biden practically promised Americans that we will face an international crisis within the first quarter of an Obama Administration? Of course, the Vice Presidential candidate calmed our concerns by basically saying that we need to be patient at first because it wouldn’t be initially apparent that Senator Obama would have the right response. Should statements like these tell us what we need to know about the direction – and candidacies – of the election, or should we count on the efforts of over 150 presidential polls and hope – perhaps in vain – that we get specific and consistent information to help us select our next president?

In the most charged election since 1860, get yourself revved up to listen to the facts and figures before making your choices over the next 8 days. The truth is out there. Your views on the issues affect your choices throughout the ballot, including judges, attorney general, and commissioners. These X – Factors mark the spot for our treasure of prosperity, so let’s start digging – for the facts and issues that matter to us before we vote. Elections are always about X – Factors. Don’t let the X-Files nature of these 150+ polls take out the only X-Factor that really counts: Y-O-U.

Lenny McAllister ( www.lennymcallister.com ) is a regular contributor to hiphoprepublican.com that provides political commentary on “Fox News Rising” every Monday in Charlotte, NC.