MONDAY’S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP….Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll taken after the debate shows Obama with a modest lead over McCain nationwide, 49% to 44%, compared with last week’s three-point lead.
* In case there are lingering doubts about how the public perceived Friday night’s debate, Gallup found that voters saw Obama as having done a better job, 46% to 34%.
* The Obama campaign is trying to build up expectations for Sarah Palin’s debate performance. “She’s very skilled and she’ll be well-prepared,” David Axelrod told reporters last night.
* Obama told guests at a Detroit fundraiser last night, “You couldn’t have written a novel with all the crazy stuff that has happened in this election.” I know the feeling.
* Interesting report: “In a development that could have a significant impact on the presidential race, the rise in registered Democrats has far outpaced Republican registration in many key swing states, giving Dems a clear registration advantage in a lot of them, while wiping away one-time GOP registration advantages in a couple others.”
* Republicans are starting to worry a bit about Indiana, which hasn’t backed a Democratic candidate in more than four decades.
* Mason-Dixon released two polls over the weekend, but neither are likely to be competitive in November. McCain leads by 16 in Tennessee (55% to 39%) and by 12 in Kentucky (53% to 41%).
* And the daily newspaper in Modesto Stockton Record hadn’t endorsed a presidential candidate in any election in the last 72 years. Yesterday, it endorsed Obama.
