The Election Enters the "Archie Bell Phase"

Hi everybody! I'm not Archie Bell. I'm not the Drells and I don't have a new dance either.

And I could really stand a new dance right now.

That's because the 2008 presidential election is starting to remind me of the old Archie Bell and the Drells hit "Tighten Up."

Archie Bell didn't sing much on "Tighten Up." But he had very cool way of talking over the music.

"Tighten up on that bass now/ Tighten it up/ Ha, ha, yeah"

As late as Tuesday, the polls had Barack Obama ahead by 8 points with several polls showing 13 or 14 point leads. "Feeling Stronger Every Day" was my song and I was feeling it. I felt it even more on Wednesday when Barack Obama won the debate and my friend Matthew Kerbel from Villanova told me that he thought the election was in the bag for Obama.

But today, the TPM poll composite has Obama up by only 5.3 with a range from 2 (Gallup traditional) to 7 (Research 2000, IBD/TIPP, Hotline/FD).

As Archie would say, "Now let that guitar fall in/ Oh, yeah/ Tighten up on that organ now."

Actually, there's reason to expect the tightening to continue. The debates are over. McCain doesn't have any more chances to look like a bully, blink 100 miles an hour, pop out with his Uncle Fester eyes, or do that tongue thing. He won't have to worry about explaining his unpopular policies to sceptical audiences of swing voters either.

If McCain doesn't do anything stupid (a big "if"), he can look forward to another solid two weeks of sliming Obama.

Or as Republicans call it, "raising questions."

So, whether liberal bloggers like it or not (and I don't), "Tighten Up" might be the song for the really ugly part of this election.

"Come on and tighten up/ Let's tighten it up now/ Let's tighten it up now/ Tighten it up."

Sing it, baby. Actually, Mrs. RSI says I can't sing.

But neither could Archie Bell.