Every day until the election, Slate will offer up one reason to be optimistic for your candidate.
18 days to go:
Recent nationwide polling has been sporadic and strange, allowing Democrats to calmly ignore Gallup’s massive seven-point lead for Mitt Romney yesterday. But Democrats have a reason to worry: Swing state poll averages are showing a small but undeniable advantage for Romney in the Electoral College. Real Clear Politics gives Romney 206 certain electoral votes compared with Obama’s 201, and several swing states—Florida, Nevada, and Colorado—have been leaning increasingly Republican in recent weeks. Other polls show a similarly tight race, as Obama’s numbers in Wisconsin and Iowa refuse to bounce back to their pre-debate levels. Gallup’s odd poll may be an outlier, but Romney path to victory in the Electoral College is more feasible than ever.
