Laura's Election Notebook

Week ending October 24th, 2008 by Laura Kuenssberg

It's been a funny old week. Like last week, Obama's still way ahead in the polls - crucially a new set of numbers from the places that really matter show the Democratic candidate to be ahead in ten of the most important electoral battlegrounds.

Watch Laura's film

And like last week, McCain's been trying to focus on the economy, hammering references to Joe The Plumber, trying to take the fight to Obama on tax.

The Mccainiacs say everyone's like Joe the plumber

, and that good hard working folk should be scared of the Democrat's plans. This new Republican seeks to play on the profile of the star of last week's campaign- a plumber from Ohio who put Obama on the spot about his plans for tax.

But whatever the Republicans new attack ads say, at this stage, they just can't outspend the Democrats. Team Obama has been swamping swing states with tv accusations that mccain's all over the place. Their fundraising has broken their own previous records of enormous cash hauls - more than 3 million individuals have given to the campaign, raising more than $450 million dollars.

Even though the Republicans are complaining about the way the cash has been raised, in the short term, that won't make any difference to the fact that the Democrats have more buying power on radio, online, on tv - even shelling out for a half hour special before the World Series next Wednesday night.

Democrats backed by Powell

And on the ground, they are outnumbering Republican activists by a mile.

More than a hundred newspapers have endorsed the Democrats now, including dozens who traditionally back republicans. Early voting has begun and it seems so far, to be a benefit to the Democrats too. And to top it all, this week Obama was backed by Colin Powell

- yes the Republican grandee who spent so many years in both Bush White Houses. It wasn't exactly an enormous surprise, but still it was a kick in the teeth for his old friend John McCain, and as George W gets ready to pack up the White House, it was another sign of how much he has hindered the GOP campaign. Have a look at this for a more amusing take on W"s departure.

How much?

This week too there was more embarassment for Governor Palin

- deemed by many commentators to be a drag on McCain, rather than the start she first appeared to be. The GOP had red faces when it emerged that they'd spent more than a hundred and fifty thousand dollars on clothes and makeup for her. And there was confusion over some of her other expenses. Is it unfair that she's been criticised for having swanky clothes bought on her behalf? Well perhaps not. Campbell Brown, a CNN pundit, has an interesting take on how Palin would have been treated differently if she had been a man.

The male sex isn't immune from taking the heat over their spending on their appearance. John McCain's taken some stick over the cost of his make up artist. Remember the rumpus over John Edwards' hair cuts? And Barack Obama's suits don't exactly look cheap. But with governor Palin what's shocked is the sheer amount of cash that's been spent - 'shop, baby shop'!

Can anything go wrong for Obama?

Of course, there are ten full days left - ten full days when he or his running mate Joe Biden

could slip up. Obama's VP choice did make a serious mistake this week. Speaking at a private gathering, his running mate, Joe Biden, predicted that an Obama presidency could generate an international crisis, much to the alarm of some commentators.

While it was a gaffe not a game changer, it took the shine of the Powell endorsement and provided a reminder to some Obama fans that in many ways, the campaign's the easy bit.

Things could still change, and fast. Word is some of Obama's private polling shows his leads not to be as secure as the public numbers. And it almost wouldn't be an American election if there weren't already some problems with the voting technology. So far, the incidents have been isolated, but there is evidence in some states of the ballot machines malfunctioning - 2004 anyone? No mistake, both parties will be keeping a beady eye on any problems - if the result is closer than most pollsters expect it to be then the lawyers will get busy.

Click here to see Laura's entry from last week

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