'The end of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as we know it,' II
A reader writes in re my 'surprise' that the presidential race is still close:

You don't know why the polls are so close? Yes, you do. So do I. We all do.

I admit it didn't hit me until last evening while talking to someone about the race: The Bradley Effect. I'm not one to sling around charges of racism. But you have to wonder why Obama doesn't have a double-digit lead at this point. He's a hesitant bore. McCain's run a surprisingly spirited campaign. The country has been divided along red-blue lines for years. All are true. But there's racisim in this world and country -- and Obama's probably going to need a fatter lead if he's going to win. ...

Update -- From Reader No. 1: "Please see this thoughtful post by Nate Silver." Points well taken. It's a complicated issue. I know that. But I find it very, very, very hard to believe that racism won't be a factor at some level in voting. ...  ¶ 10:24 AM