Clearly shows a disconnect between the media and middle America.
That's it exactly. We can sit here in multi-cult left-liberal Toronto and declare that of course Obama is the obvious choice for Americans. However, America is populated by mostly blue collar white folks who like the bravado of a stong military, and while most Americans are not that religious in example, those of the right wing religious types are very well organized.
America is like Sparta, where military service is revered. Over 1.4 million Americans currently serve in their military, and more than 20 million Americans have past service, combat, administrative, etc. in the military, from WW2, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam, Lebanon, etc.....
So, you're some blue collar white guy who served in the military (or whose father did), value the right to guns and hunt (even if you don't have one), have friends fighting the Muslims in Iraq and/or Afghanistan and you've got some urban, ivy-spoken black guy, with no military service with a Muslim name, with an angry-looking "only-now-proud-to-be-American" black wife, who you believe supports gays and abortion asking for your vote. On the other hand, you've got a white, senior (maybe our blue collar guys will call that "experienced") veteran decorated combat soldier, and a young, strong willed, gun-totting hockey mom that reminds you of all the white, hardworking moms you know (or wish you did) that will help rebuild the republican party that Bush wrecked. Who is our blue collar white guy going to vote for?
Obama's only chance is to bring out those who wouldn't usually vote in sufficient numbers to matter; minorities in their millions, students, youth, etc. There's no chance that middle America will vote for Obama.
God, Guns, Guts, and Country. That's what middle American votes on. Here in Canada we think they're crazy, and maybe they are, but that's what the voters want.