Updates for 9/16

Just a brief note for those who may have subscribed to the site's feed, but don't check in everyday... The chart and the numbers in "The Breakdown" are updated most days, even if there are no new posts. With RSS you're only going to see new posts, so be sure to check back daily if you want to follow the current state of things.

Today's numbers aren't great for either candidate, though they are a bit worse for Obama. One state moved from supporting each candidate into the tied colum, though Obama lost the bigger prize of PA to McCain's VA. Obama also had a few states shift to lower levels of support which hurts him in the chart, while McCain saw a slight increase in the depth of his support.

The "good" news is that McCain is going to have to explain how his policies will be different from those of Bush and the Republican legislature with regard to disaster management-- both of the natural and financial kind. I doubt that he'll be able to get away with using Palin as a distraction in the face of these very real events.

Before someone accuses me of using people's suffering for political purposes, please understand that my heart go out to all the people who lost a big chunk of their retirement income today, as well as those who have lost their homes or worse in Texas. Also understand that my income is directly tied to the health of the construction industry. I have already taken a substantial pay cut in order to avoid being laid off completely, but whether that can be avoided going forward is anyone's guess. My suffering may not be on par with that of the people of Texas or those who lost there retirement savings, but it is still very real to me.