Election Preview (25 Days Remaining)

Regarding the presidential race, pundits are pretty clear about the uphill battle McCain faces.  Charlie Cook, publisher of the Cook Report summed it up as follows: “Since early September this race has shifted rather dramatically in Obama's favor. As long as the focus is almost exclusively on the economy, this race is almost unwinnable for McCain. It would take a major external event, the proverbial October Surprise, to shift the spotlight to national security or some other subject that would allow McCain to highlight his strengths.”  As of October 8, all major national polls on average show Obama up 5.6%. This proverbial Obama bounce is giving the Democrats confidence down ticket as well, to the point they are now targeting several once-safe Republican Senators.  Democratic challengers are beginning to make up ground in Georgia, North Carolina and Kentucky.  The survival of Republican incumbents might just depend on how the economy reacts over the coming 3 ½ weeks. In the House, the big national indicators such as voter anger and the economy make it all the more possible for Democrats to take 20 seats or more. AGC member contractors are encoruaged to vote to help elect pro-construction candidates.  Ensure voter registration is complete, request an absentee ballot and confirm polling locations. For all the necessary voting and registration deadline details visit www.agc.org/vote.