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Hear What a "Focus Group" of Battleground Voters Has to Say
October 07, 2008 11:38 AM
Senior producer Tom Nagorski blogs from the World News bus today in Ohio:
In the newsroom some of us refer fondly to our "focus group of one" -- meaning, a loved one who serves as sounding board for opinion of all kinds. Out on the road, a "focus group" can be a handful of people gathered just about anywhere, and while it's never scientific, it's always helpful.
Here in Ohio, we've met with a foursome of GM workers in Dayton, a table-full of diners at the Upper Deck Tavern in Moraine, and -- just now -- with the morning crowd at the Cloud Nine Café in Wapakoneta. Wapakoneta is the birthplace of the astronaut Neal Armstrong and it's solid McCain territory; Auglaize County ran nearly 3-1 for Bush in 2000 and again in 2004. At the Cloud Nine Café, we found a quartet of small business owners, eager to talk.
Ellie Archer, 62, is solidly for McCain during what she calls a "perfect storm" of economic trouble. "We need someone with experience," she said. Alan Davis, a 40-something father of three, said he fears "big government" and is convinced that's what an Obama administration would bring. "I'm solid McCain," he told us. Vanessa Lee, 37, drew a long sigh when asked about her choice. "Do I have to tell you today?" she asked, laughing. She's a student of the issues who hates the political ads, and she has never voted democratic. "This time I might," she said. She likes Obama's health-care plan. Then there was Dennis Borgert, who runs a bowling alley and says his vote has shifted day to day. "I can tell you what I don't like," Borgert said firmly. "I don't like when one of them gets up on TV and just insults the other. That's not what we need to hear right now." Was today a McCain or Obama day, we asked. "Obama," he said. Tomorrow? He couldn't say.
Just one "focus group". Just four of the 33,590 registered voters in Auglaize County. Next stop, Bowling Green...
October 7, 2008 in Vote 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (92)
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PA Independent for Obama here.
Focus on that!
Posted by: Joe Six-Pack | Oct 7, 2008 11:49:35 AM
Do the math, if 3 out of 4 becomes 2 out of 4, Obama picks up votes. Sounds like you have a solid 2 at the moment.
Posted by: math is hard | Oct 7, 2008 11:55:22 AM
It's funny. We no longer hear this race is a "toss-up".
The Reasoning behind Obama's BIG shift in the polls are Democrats are coming home and Indepedents are shifting in his direction.
Posted by: Vanessa | Oct 7, 2008 11:57:11 AM
Oh yea, and reporting live from the urban enclaves of Brooklyn, Philly, Los Angeles, Miami and Houston, just to name a few, we've taken a poll and most people we interviewed were critical thinking educated individuals and their question was, HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW WHO YOU'RE VOTING FOR?
TWP's........So gullible. You can sell em a fish market at Sea World.
Cmon MSM! Stop spinning it up and holding the hands of hesitators needing someone to hold their hands and wipe their butts for them.
AMERICA KNOWS WHO THE BEST CHOICE IS...
POTUS OBAMA - IT'S A LOCK
Posted by: Nat Turner | Oct 7, 2008 11:57:17 AM
BTW, sounds like a reverse Bradley Effect. Nobody want to admit they might vote Dem in GOP land.
Posted by: hmmm | Oct 7, 2008 12:01:36 PM
The media knows it's over and Obama won.
But, they won't admit it.. they need to have something to write about.
Posted by: Gus | Oct 7, 2008 12:01:51 PM
"Smiling faces, sometimes, pretend to be your friend. Smiling faces, show no traces, of the evil that lurks within. Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes, they don't tell the truth" [O'Jays]. This, my friends, is the unofficial Obama campaign theme song.
Posted by: albensmom | Oct 7, 2008 12:06:08 PM
CNN moves Virginia into the blue state column. Obama has a hefty lead there. If he holds it, NV and NM, the election is over.
NC was moved to tossup from leaning McCain.
Posted by: bubba | Oct 7, 2008 12:06:26 PM
Hey Jake!, why are you and abc not reporting on the Corsi story, why is it that Fox News is the only news that will report the truth? why Jake? Don't you think that it is important for the American people to know that Obama's thug mentallity is at work overseas also, don't you see the relevance, don't you think that the American people should know that under an Obama administration if you don't agree with him, you will be targeted and bullied? When is the MSM going to do their job? tell me Jake, when are they going to do their job? An American Citizen is being held in Kenya beacuse he disagrees with Obama, what does that say to the American People Jake? why don't you report on tha t?
Posted by: Kim | Oct 7, 2008 12:08:29 PM
I guess the McCain campaign's theme song is Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran.
Posted by: Gus | Oct 7, 2008 12:08:59 PM
Hey Jake!, why are you and abc not reporting on the Corsi story, why is it that Fox News is the only news that will report the truth? why Jake? Don't you think that it is important for the American people to know that Obama's thug mentallity is at work overseas also, don't you see the relevance, don't you think that the American people should know that under an Obama administration if you don't agree with him, you will be targeted and bullied? When is the MSM going to do their job? tell me Jake, when are they going to do their job? An American Citizen is being held in Kenya beacuse he disagrees with Obama, what does that say to the American People Jake? why don't you report on tha t?
Posted by: Kim | Oct 7, 2008 12:09:37 PM
pollster has a daily summary of 17 different polls, including the prestigious Gallup and Rasmussen polls. For the last several days, EVERY SINGLE POLL has Obama in the lead.
Posted by: William J. LePetomaine | Oct 7, 2008 12:09:51 PM
McCain is going to make Americans take a look at the REAL Obama and our intelligent independent voters will see who he REALLY is. We CANNOT risk our national security with this despicable man who has been taught to hate america by his own pastor.
Posted by: albensmom | Oct 7, 2008 12:10:16 PM
Oh yeah...bomb Iran if necessary. Hey you, go back to playing your guitar and smoking your crack, okay? Let the republicans take care of the country.
Posted by: albensmom | Oct 7, 2008 12:11:41 PM
Which brings me to say, that when this election is over, regardless of who wins, thats exactly what democrats will do. They'll go back to smoking their crack pipes, play their guitars, and tree hug some more.
Posted by: albensmom | Oct 7, 2008 12:13:16 PM
- let me put my personal opinions aside-
can we PLEASE stop giving so much press to these "focus groups" I do not care which way they point - pro Obama / pro McCain - focus groups of 5-10-15 people are not valid measurement tools - no statistical validity - and because of the group dynamic nature of focus groups, they can produce so really weird results. They are good for broad general perceptions & trends --- but you watch, tonight some fools will find a focus group of 10 people that leans 6 to 4 and those fools will call it a 20% margin of victory. Again - does not matter which side gets favored - I hate there stupid focus groups.
Posted by: bluerednot | Oct 7, 2008 12:22:37 PM
TJ, you have just made my day by posting those numbers =] Maybe there is good in people after all =]
Posted by: albensmom | Oct 7, 2008 12:25:04 PM
TJ, not sure where you are getting your figures. Pollster this morning has the 17 poll results listed. In 16 of them, Obama is in the lead. In the 17th, which is Indiana, they are tied.
Posted by: William J. LePetomaine | Oct 7, 2008 12:26:00 PM
Ask any middle to upper class hard working tax paying church-going individual who they would support....you got it a republican!! For those of you sitting on your bums collecting your free benefits, just remember who funds them-- WE DO.
Posted by: albensmom | Oct 7, 2008 12:27:27 PM
ELECTORAL COLLEGE MATH:
Obama 349
McCain 174
Ties 15
electoral-vote
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Oct 7, 2008 12:27:49 PM
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