Pay attention: McCain can still win it.

Why? The undecideds. Any time you have polling ratios for two major parties and there’s more than 6% missing from the sum of the percentages, the undecided votes are sleeping in the results and could easily screw things up.

As of today, that shows Obama at 51% and McCain at 43.4%, 1.7% to Barr, 2% to Nader with 4.5% undecided (rounding brings that over 100%). If that 4.5% undecided goes to McCain then we have McCain at 47.9%. If the Nader voters join in, he’s at 49.9%. (The Barr voters have likely solidified, being crazy Libertarians to begin with. )

We know from experience that a little voter caging and a small number of “problems” with voting machines (which always seem to vote Republican, curiously) can easily toss the vote by 2%. McCain would then have the popular vote.

However, what matters is the Electoral College, correct? So, what scenario gives McCain a victory?

I’ve noticed recently that when I hear Sarah Palin’s voice on the TV or radio that I get tense and angry and feel like breaking something. After some days of this, and avoiding any exposure, I wondered what it was that was making me react this way. So I sat through a “speech” of hers and thought about it (they’re never really speeches, they’re extended vocal wanderings through a forest of issues she has only a fleeting familiarity with).

I realized that I really just want to punch her. I want her to say something stupid and then I want to walk up and deck her in the face.

Why? She’s a bitch.

The problem with listening to Palin talk is that anyone with a reasonable mind is offended about every ten to twenty seconds by something either blatantly false, needlessly inciting, or just plain cocky.

Let’s take just one snippet from an October 6th rally in Clearwater, Florida (yes, the Scientology town) and examine it.

You know, in this campaign, in this election, I think the phoniest claim in a campaign that’s been full of them, is that Barack Obama is going to cut your taxes?

Phony claim? There’s a published plan that will cut the taxes of everyone making less than $250K a year. It’s out there. It’s agreed-upon.

I guess if the majority of your support comes from people making over $250K a year, this is a big issue for you. The rest of us, however, have some strong opinions about McCain’s “relief” plan that targets those making over $100K with more tax cuts than those making up the bulk of the payments.

I mean, think about it. He’s built his whole career on doling out tax money, first as a Chicago politician, and then raising taxes as a senator.

New taxes come in as old taxes are removed. Every senator has voted to raise taxes at one point or another. It’s how things are funded. John McCain has voted to raise taxes several times himself.

It was really just too obvious.