Hidden Audio: Obama Tells SF Chronicle He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry  —  (Please read update about the San Francisco Chronicle neglecting to mention Obama's willingness to bankrupt the coal industry at bottom of this blog.)  —  Imagine if John McCain had whispered somewhere that he was willing to bankrupt a major industry?

FIRST THOUGHTS: OUR FINAL MAP  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann  —  *** Our final map: With two days before Election Day, the final NBC News map shows Obama remaining above the 270 electoral-vote mark, with a 286-157 lead over McCain.  Last week, Obama held a 286-163 advantage.

Obama seven points ahead in CNN's final poll  —  (CNN) — Two and seven: With two days left until election day, a new national poll suggests that Barack Obama holds a seven-point lead over John McCain in the race for the White House.  —  In the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey …

The single worst expression in American politics  —  Joe Biden, speaking yesterday at a rally in Ohio (h/t Jonathan Schwarz): … As I wrote a couple of weeks ago (see the last few paragraphs): if I could be granted one small political wish, it would be the permanent elimination of this widespread …

Obama Leads McCain 52% to 46% in Campaign's Final Days  —  McCain Narrows Gap  —  Barack Obama holds a significant lead over John McCain in the final days of Campaign 2008.  The Pew Research Center's final pre-election poll of 2,587 likely voters, conducted Oct. 29-Nov. 1 …

Obama will answer questions ... Wednesday  —  ABC's Jake Tapper managed to get Sen. Barack Obama's attention on the tarmac in Springfield, Mo., this morning.  —  “What would you tell your Treasury secretary to do differently with the $700 billion?” he asked, according to the pool report.

OBAMA 2012: FOUR YEARS LATER  —  A LOOK BACK AT HIS PRESIDENCY  —  It's hard to believe that just four years ago, some were talking about Barack Obama as a national savior, a secular redeemer, a “light worker.”  Even more shocking, President Obama lost the nomination of his own party to none other than Hillary Clinton.

VOTER REGISTRATION....Matt Yglesias seconds Rick Hasen's proposal to make ACORN's registration drives (and the quadrennial conservative meltdown over them) obsolete by just having the federal government do it: … I'd go even further: implement a national ID and give one to everybody, free of charge.

Gallup Daily: Obama Continues to Outpace McCain  —  Holds 8-point lead among “traditional likely voters”  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Voters' presidential preferences remain favorable to a Barack Obama win on Tuesday, with 51% of traditional likely voters supporting the Democratic nominee for president, and 43% backing John McCain.

Townsfolk stuff Palin effigy with explosives  —  BATTLE, England (CNN) — Townsfolk in England have delivered their explosive verdict on Sarah Palin, stuffing a giant effigy of the U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee with fireworks and blowing her up to raucous cheers.

Three Big Myths About The 2004 and 2008 Elections  —  When I tell people how well Obama is doing in the polls, here are three of the most common responses I receive:  — “Yeah, but Kerry was winning at the end of the campaign, too.”  — “Yeah, but Kerry was way ahead among early voters, too.”