SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 8:37 P.M. ET:

GALLUPING UPWARD – Mitt Romney is back to a spectacular seven-point lead in the Gallup tracker.  He continues to outpoll every successful presidential challenger since 1968.  At this point in the race in 1980, Ronald Reagan was at 39%.  Can you believe that?  But that is also a cautionary note.  Things can change very rapidly in the last few weeks of a campaign.  The Obamans will try something.  Also, Gallup is showing Romney further ahead than other polls.  This is not the time for overconfidence.

AL QAEDA THWARTED – Jordan claims it was defeated an Al Qaeda plot aimed at attacking shopping malls and Western diplomatic outposts in the country.  That would include the US Embassy.  (Did anyone say "Libya"?)  Eleven alleged Al Qaeda operatives were arrested.  One of the claims that Obama is making in this campaign is that he has Al Qaeda on the run.  But more reliable sources are warning that Al Qaeda is resurgent, operating all over the Mideast and west Asia, and often successful.  Don't tell the president.  He has a fundraiser tonight.

THEY LIVE! – The mainstreamers are desperate to find people who voted for McCain in 2008, and are now voting for Obama.  They found some!  I mean, they're under a rock, but they exist.  For some reason, the greater number are older males,the greatest number in the northeast (naturally), but there are precious few of them.  Reuters points out that Obama trails Romney 34 percent to 52 percent among white men over 50.  But it must be inspiring for a mainstream journalist to find a McCain voter who's going Obama this time.  Stuff him and mount him on a wall.

October 21, 2012