Pew issued a report yesterday with new numbers on the presidential race that underscore some themes likely to endure throughout the campaign. A few points deserve special note. First, Pew highlights a point I expect we’ll hear repeatedly for the balance of the campaign: This is no Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum election. Americans hold very divergent views of the two candidates. For example, they think Obama has new ideas, but they believe McCain is more qualified to be president. Pew writes this:
Second, while McCain suffers from an “enthusiasm” gap, as Stephen Hayes, among others, has noted, Obama continues to struggle with consolidating his own Democratic base. According to Pew:
Third, McCain continues to do well with “independents,” a significant voter group both campaigns are working hard to persuade. “Independents remain evenly split, as was the case in late May; 42 percent support Obama while 41 percent support McCain,” according to Pew. Finally, compared to 2004, a larger percentage of these independent voters remain undecided.
