Politics | Election 2008 Journos Will Look Dumb if Mac Wins A few situations that could trigger a McCain victory By Drew Nelles Posted Oct 19, 2008 6:56 PM CDT Copied Kids hold an American flag and a bill with a photo of Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill, at a rally in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) If John McCain pulls off a surprise victory, reporters who predicted a landslide for Barack Obama are going to look for head-space in the sand, writes Jack Shafer in the Washington Post—unless they quickly whip off one of these articles: "McCain's Michigan Miracle." When McCain pulled out of the state, Obama assumed he'd won, and voters decided to reconsider. "The Economy Boomerang." Bailout plans in the US and Europe calmed Americans' fears, so they voted against "change" after all. "New Voter No-Shows." New voters, who skew heavily Democrat, stayed home on election day—as they often do. "The Curse of Bob Shrum." Campaign consultant Shrum has never gotten a candidate elected. His prediction of an Obama victory was enough to kill his chances. "The Obama Bubble." The real estate and stock market were both bubbles; Obama's lead in the polls was just another one waiting to pop. For more reasons why Obama lost, click on the link below. Read These Next In this murder, arresting the boyfriend was a big mistake. Sammy Davis Jr.'s ex, Swedish actor May Britt, is dead at 91. Online sleuths expose Epstein file redactions. Bizarre video shows thieves pulling an ATM out of store with SUV. Report an error