Don Walton: October surprise ahead?

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OK, four weeks to go.

Ain’t this fun?

Barack Obama and John McCain go at it tomorrow night in Nashville in a free-for-all.

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The last debate is Oct. 15 and its format will focus voter attention on the economy.

Look at the new polls from Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Michigan, even Florida, and it appears Obama is in the driver’s seat.

The weekend Gallup national numbers: Obama, 50 percent; McCain, 43 percent.

But this is four weeks before the election.

Get ready for some nasty stuff during these final weeks.

And who knows what events might intervene?

A national security threat?

A stock market crash despite last week’s financial rescue legislation?

An international crisis ?

Perhaps in Pakistan or somewhere in the Middle East?

A preemptive Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities?

Is there an October surprise ahead?

Buckle up and we’ll soon see.

Together again

Who just happened to be in the presiding officer’s chair in the Senate last Thursday afternoon when Chuck Hagel delivered his farewell speech?      

It was coincidental, but Ben Nelson was presiding when Hagel walked onto the Senate floor.

Two Nebraskans who were matched in a rough 1996 Senate battle and ended up serving together rather uncomfortably for eight years were there face to face at the end.

They “wound up nearly alone in the Senate chamber,” said Jake Thompson, Nelson’s communications director and former OWH Washington reporter, as he described the scene.

“Only a dozen or so Senate staff were on hand.”

Hagel began: “Mr. President.  I am very pleased that you are in the chair this afternoon.”

Afterwards, Nelson said he knew what had brought the two men together, Thompson said.

“Divine providence.”

Finishing up

* Nebraska presidential numbers from Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of 500  likely voters last Tuesday night: McCain, 56 percent; Obama, 37 percent

* Bush presidential performance numbers from the same survey: 39 percent good or excellent; 44 percent poor.

* Jane Kleeb speaking about Hagel, whom she interviewed several months ago for an MTV Street Team Reporter segment:  “I have a bit of a crush on Chuck Hagel. He makes me proud.”

* Somebody’s cell phone rang loudly during the Senate’s somber roll call vote on the Wall Street rescue bill, Roll Call reported. It was Nelson’s daughter calling from California to compliment him on his tie.

* Hagel will be saluted this week at UNO, his alma mater. 

* Political trend: 16 percent of registered voters in Nebraska who are 25 or older are independents; 27 percent of registered voters under 25 are independents.

* Hillary Clinton will be in Omaha two weeks before the election. Although she’s coming to headline a non-partisan Girls Inc., luncheon, it’s hard to imagine Democrats won’t also schedule a political event in a battleground presidential electoral vote district.

* Especially after Sunday’s appearance in Omaha by Sarah Palin.

* Douglas County Democrats claim they have added nearly 18,000 registered voters in the last 16 months and have cut the Republican majority in the county to 1,800. Democrats hold the registration advantage within Omaha.

* A possibility: Obama wins both Omaha and Lincoln without claiming any of Nebraska’s electoral votes.

* Whoa, sit down, shut your eyes, and enjoy the ride. Roller Coaster Car 401 is k-areening around the curves.

* Reality check: Expected the losses, thought the blowouts might be over. The Huskers are deeper in the hole than I wanted to think.

* Said one Missouri fan walking through a north end zone section deep into the thrashing Saturday night: “It took me 30 years to get here.”

* Next: shock and awe in Lubbock.

Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com.