On the eve of the final presidential debate a recent poll has John McCain trailing Barack Obama by 17 points in Wisconsin. Janet Boles, Political Science Professor at Marquette University, says there are "no swing voters" left in Wisconsin. She claims only eight or nine percent of the voters are not telling pollsters who they will vote for, a margin too slim to make a difference.
Obama's lead grew after the second debate. Boles predicts the Democratic nominee will be spot on tonight. She recalls criticisms of Obama during the primary as being "a poor second to Hillary Clinton." Since then the political scientist says Obama has performed consistently.
Three of Wisconsin's best known Republicans, Former Governor Tommy Thompson, Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner and Paul Ryan say McCain can still win the White House if he gets tougher on the Illinois Senator and becomes specific on the issues.
Only twice in the modern polling era has a candidate trailing in early October come back to win, Harry Truman in 1948, and Ronald Reagan in 1980.