No Need to Vote on Tuesday – The Winner is Known

Seen at the Los Angeles Times:

Garry Trudeau’s "Doonesbury" is predicting a victory for Barack Obama, and newspaper editors around the country are debating whether to publish the comic no matter the results of the election.
Wednesday’s strip is set in Iraq and features military characters huddled around a television that proclaims "And it’s official — Barack Obama has won. . . ." […]

In an e-mail to The Times, Trudeau said newspapers should run the strip because ". . . polling data gives McCain a 3.7% chance of victory. There’s a greater risk that their presses will break down on election day. So I’ve been encouraging editors to choose hope over fear. And reminding them that if I’m wrong, it’ll be my face that’ll be covered with egg, not theirs."

Trudeau said he’s not worried about the comic if his prediction is wrong. "I’d be a lot more worried about the country than the strip. One reporter has already suggested I just carry on with an alternative universe in which Obama wins. It’s not a crazy idea . . . "

I agree with the concern that it’s a bit presumptuous to make such a declaration…but you’ve got to admit the “alternative universe” option is amusing.

If you need some almost last minute projections:

• Electoral-Vote.com:  Obama 353, McCain 185
• FiveThirtyEight.com: Obama 332.9 (93.7% chance), McCain 205.1 (6.3% chance)
• Real Clear Politics: Obama 353, McCain 185
• Intrade:  Obama to win 88.9; McCain to win 11.2