I just returned from 4 days in West Virginia and Kentucky. I threw my trusty and battered carry all into the back of the van, loaded my traveling companion (Mr. Nick, the Golden Bear, 110 pounds of shedding goofiness, who answers to a much more refined, "Nick") and headed down the road.
I spent much of World War II in the back seat of a Buick Roadmaster. My father, who was charged with problem solving in the war effort, was sent thither and yon, often with short warning, and usually to places with limited access. So he would pile us all in the car and off we would go.
Some of my earliest memories are of that brief flash of road, heading over the next mountain, several miles ahead. I'm trained, and imbued, with wanderlust. Jumping in the car and heading down the road is in my Top 5 list of favorite things to do.
I had some personal business to attend to in southern Kentucky.
Now, it should be noted, that I was entering what I considered to be "enemy territory" with a 1992 Dodge, Grand Caravan LE, plastered with Obama '08 stickers. Concealed carry laws obtain. "Deliverance" was on my mind. (Never say you are free of bias - none of us are!)
Imagine my surprise when I was approached more times than I can count, by people from all walks of life, (at the Starbucks, at the Marathon Station, in the hotel parking lots, on the streets of tiny non-entity towns) who would pluck at my shirt tale and shyly say, "Is that your car?"
"Yes", I would answer, trying to project confidence while expecting confrontation.
"Well, I just want you to know that McCain is going to win here in ________, but Obama has my vote."
Truckers would blow their horns as they flew past my laboring van on the 5% grades of I64. I would look up to see a thumb and forefinger forming a big "O", and a thumbs up!
Beaters like mine, and fancy new cars, would race past with a thumbs up sign, honking like crazy.
There was a surprising dearth of bumper stickers, and I did not see a single McCain banner in over 1,400 miles of highway. But my little Obama stickers generated a lot of attention.
I think there is something going on out there that none of the polls are measuring, entranced as they are with their slice and dice methods.
Caveat: I have constructed, administered and analyzed polling data since 1970. I not only know the drill, I know the limits of expectations, and of assumptions in question construction and sampling. I think they are missing something.
There were other "issues". My air conditioner quit just as I crossed in to the humidity swamp of Kentucky, and Mr. Nick was suffering from the heat. I rediscovered the joys of fast food as, without air I could not stop and eat a real meal. We both got a bit dehydrated and collapsed in the wonder of an air conditioned hotel room, sleeping too soundly and far too long, both nights. I lost 4 pounds, and Mr. Nick dropped 5, himself.
I had the fun of "talking", with my headlights, with a legion of interstate truckers - tricks the old timers both appreciated and enjoyed, and the wonderkind ignored. <g>
My tired old van, with the exception of the air conditioning unit, performed admirably, producing 36 mpg, and with gas along the interstate running as high as $4.49 a gallon, that was a blessing.
I saw little in the way of gas conservation. Speeds of 70 to 85 mph were common - I stayed faithfully in the right lane, only getting out of the way of trucks trying to build up speed to tackle the upcoming grade, for which they were grateful.
And, I discovered a pool of Obama supporters "out there", that are remaining untapped by the pollsters. I suspect that Barack will not win West Virginia and Kentucky out right, but any money he can put in these states will be well spent. He could give McSame a run for his money.
Nice to be back.