Why Dems Shouldn't Get Complacent About Voting

Barack Obama says that [even with him enjoying a double-digit lead over McCain with two weeks left to election] Democratic voters should not get overconfident about the outcome of this election. There will certainly be supporters who feel that since Obama leads McCain by 10 points, he doesn't need their vote because he will win anyway. However, that reasoning is flawed. One big reason is that the difference between Obama winning the election by a few points and winning by landslide is that landslide victories empower a President to more aggressively implement his legislative agenda. As David Plouffe, Obama Campaign Manager puts it, "Being in a good position to win is not the same as winning." With that said, I've reprinted below MoveOn.org's "TOP 5 REASONS OBAMA SUPPORTERS CAN'T REST EASY".

1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the polls are narrowing anyway. In the last few days, John McCain has gained ground in most national polls, as his campaign has gone even more negative.

2. Dirty tricks. Republicans are already illegally purging voters from the rolls in some states. They're whipping up hysteria over ACORN to justify more challenges to new voters. Misleading flyers about the voting process have started appearing in black neighborhoods. And of course, many counties still use unsecure voting machines.

3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time. The next McCain smear could dominate the news for a week. There could be a crisis with Iran, or Bin Laden could release another tape, or worse.

4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after [leading George W. Bush by 6 points during September 17-19, then leading Bush by 11 points on October 2-4] trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. (For proof that a lead in the polls doesn't always translate to victory, see the graphic above). In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!

5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way. We need the kind of landslide that will give Barack a huge mandate.