Is there a Bradley Effect in recent polls showing Barack Obama’s lead of as much as 11%?  I do not know.  For those not familiar with the theory it is that participants in polls will lie about their willingness to vote a Black man.  Tom Bradley, was the Black mayor of Los Angeles.  He ran for governor of California in 1982.  Although many polls showed him significantly leading, he lost the election.

I fear that the theory has merit.  The reason is that there have been too many other Black candidates who narrowly won or lost after polling data showed a significant lead.  Douglas Wilder, former Virginia governor, is an outstanding example of someone who had polls showing a 9% lead but won by less than 1%.  Others include Harold Washington’s four-point victory in the 1983 Chicago mayoral race despite a double-digit lead in polls, and David Dinkins’ two-point victory over Rudy Giuliani in 1989 to be New York‘s mayor despite a 14-point margin in late polls.

I personally believe that voting polls are trend indicators at best.  It’s not just people not telling the truth but many people not wanting to participate in any poll.  I question the validity of polling when so many people consider poll taker questions an invasion of privacy.

Sadly, too many Americans are more concerned with race, religion, and ethnicity than their own well being.  This example from a John McCain rally is a most telling indicator.  It is so bad in this country that people were opposed to Mitt  Romney as the Republican nominee because his religion is Mormon.  I always thought Mormon is a religious sect just like Lutherans, Baptists, or Catholics.  What do we Jews know? 

God gave man the right to choose.  He chose to eat the apple.  I conclude that Americans have the right to choose John McCain.  Well, the selection of president may be a flawed process but the U.S.A. is still the best place in the world.  I many not be happy but I will accept the results.  Will those bigots accept the results if Barack Obama is elected? 

John McCain is a decent man.  He his campaign themes have been “service” and “country first.”  Both of those themes are excellent.  Unfortunately Mr. McCain’s campaign rhetoric has become so incendiary that it has induced supporters at his rallies to call Barack Obama a “traitor,” “terrorist,” and a “liar.”

I noticed on a clip on Chris Matthews show that the yelling from the audience caused John McCain to grimace.  He clearly realizes that he needs to tamp down the anger his rallies have inspired.  The entire character assassination campaign methodology is becoming so toxic that it could lead mob violence and perhaps a real assassination attempt.

This is not what American election campaigns should be about.  John McCain needs to shut down the character assassination campaign immediately. He needs to focus his campaign on the issues that concern Americans like the economy, energy, infrastructure rebuilding, health insurance, etc.  If that means losing the election he should accept the will of the people.

Let me see if I have this straight…..

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re ‘exotic, different.’

* Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you’re a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you’re well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you don’t have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.

* If you’re husband is nicknamed ‘First Dude’, with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.