Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Politico's Top Editor: Obama Poised for a Blowout

Politico's chief editor John F. Harris told students at St. Lawerence University in upstate New York this week that there is a fundamental political shift in the wind, and that the Republicans will be on the outside looking in.

"Republicans are on the verge of a rout that could leave them virtually powerless in Washington. The era of trench warfare between the parties might be over," Harris said. "I'll be back by Thanksgiving if I'm wrong."

"We are on the brink of an Electoral College blowout, and there is a possibility for huge Democratic gains in the Senate, which means Barack Obama could be the most powerful president we've seen since George W. Bush in the years immediately following 9-11, or Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. That shows how starkly the premises of national politics have changed.

"Reporters like me that started covering politics in the 1980s thought Republicans were better at the game. They were skilled in the dark arts. This year, what's different is we've found a candidate who at first blush looks to be more vulnerable because of his background, but turns out to be much more disciplined and effective at controlling his public image."

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