What did the polls look like on this date in 2008? Here ya go....pretty interesting.

[Honeycombe8]

To remind us all, in 2008 the final election results were:

OBAMA 52.9% (aka 53%) and MCCAIN 45.9% (aka 46%)......A 7.3% spread

Obama had been ahead of McCain for some time, across the board, by the election date. But still, what did the polls show on this date in 2008?


</body>
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 10/17 - 10/20 1159 RV 2.9..... 52........42.....Obama +10
Associated Press/GfK 10/16 - 10/20 800 LV 3.5..... 44........43.....Obama +1
Ipsos/McClatchy 10/16 - 10/20 773 LV 3.5 50..... 42...................Obama +8
CNN/Opinion Research 10/17 - 10/19 764 LV 3.5..... 51........46.....Obama +5
Pew Research 10/16 - 10/19 2382 LV 2.5 53..... 39..................Obama +14
Rasmussen Reports 10/16 - 10/18 3000 LV 2..... 51........45.....Obama +6
Gallup (Traditional)* 10/16 - 10/18 2590 LV 2..... 49........46.....Obama +3
Gallup (Expanded)* 10/16 - 10/18 2277 LV 2..... 51........44.....Obama +7
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 10/16 - 10/18 1211 LV 2.9..... 48........45.....Obama +3
Democracy Corps (D) 10/15 - 10/19 1000 LV --..... 50........46.....Obama +4
GWU/Battleground 10/13 - 10/19 1000 LV 3.1..... 49..... 45........Obama +4
F&M/Hearst-Argyle 10/13 - 10/19 LV 3.5..... 50..... 45........Obama +5
IBD/TIPP 10/14 - 10/18 1072 LV 3..... 47..... 42........Obama +5

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html#polls

And really interesting is what realclearpolitics.com final poll average was (7.6 spread...pretty darn close):

General Election: McCain vs. Obama
Poll Date Sample MoE Obama (D) McCain (R) Spread

Final Results -- -- -- 52.9..... 45.6..... Obama +7.3
RCP Average 10/29 - 11/3 -- --..... 52.1..... 44.5..... Obama +7.6

Marist 11/03 - 11/03 804 LV 4..... 52..... 43.....Obama +9
Battleground (Lake)* 11/02 - 11/03 800 LV 3.5.....52.....47..... Obama +5
Battleground (Tarrance)* 11/02 - 11/03 800 LV 3.5.....50.....48..... Obama +2
Rasmussen Reports 11/01 - 11/03 3000 LV 2.....52.....46..... Obama +6
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 11/01 - 11/03 1201 LV 2.9..... 54.....43 Obama +11
IBD/TIPP 11/01 - 11/03 981 LV 3.2..... 52..... 44.....Obama +8
FOX News 11/01 - 11/02 971 LV 3..... 50..... 43.....Obama +7
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 11/01 - 11/02 1011 LV 3.1..... 51.....43 Obama +8
Gallup 10/31 - 11/02 2472 LV 2..... 55..... 44.....Obama +11
Diageo/Hotline 10/31 - 11/02 887 LV 3.3..... 50..... 45.....Obama +5
CBS News 10/31 - 11/02 714 LV --..... 51..... 42.....Obama +9
ABC News/Wash Post 10/30 - 11/02 2470 LV 2.5..... 53.....44..... Obama +9
Ipsos/McClatchy 10/30 - 11/02 760 LV 3.6..... 53..... 46.....Obama +7
CNN/Opinion Research 10/30 - 11/01 714 LV 3.5..... 53.....46 Obama +7
Pew Research 10/29 - 11/01 2587 LV 2..... 52..... 46.....Obama +6

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Seems like the polls were just as much all over the place then as they are now...

Obama +10 ... and +1?

[JaneyVee]

2. Look at Gallup final polling. Way off the mark. +11

ALmost by double.

[RainbowOverTexas]

5. yes off but in favor of Obama

Since 1976 Gallup has over estimated the republican candidate vote share by an average of .01%, So if Gallup has Romney over 50% on its final poll thats very bad news.

[msongs]

3. unlike today, they showed obama ahead or way ahead, not barely ahead if at all ahead nt

[BlueStreak]

4. Remember that it really was a national campaign last time

Citizen's United made it impossible to run a national campaign. Obama had to run a swing state campaign. That means that Obama ads are simply not appearing AT ALL in most of the states. As a consequence, that probably costs 4-6 points nationally. And if you account for that, Obama's right about where he was in 2008.

What would be a lot more relevant would be to look at the polls in the key swing states this time 4 years ago.