We haven't heard much about crime in the present election campaign. Does that means it's off the voters' radar screen? Maybe. In this WaPo/ABC survey, voters are asked what is the single most important issue (question 5), and crime isn't on the list of 18 issues mentioned. Wait a minute. At the bottom are three more categories: "none/nothing," "other," and "no opinion." The "duh" vote gets 6%, but 11% are lumped into "other." That makes me wonder if there is a least a single-digit percentage of people focused on crime who are hidden in that group. In addition, there may be many people who don't consider crime to be the number one issue but who might consider the issue a tie-breaker if they have mixed views of the candidates on other issues.

The economy is the number one issue by a wide margin, but the voters collectively aren't too sure who is better on that issue (see question 7), and a good many swing voters may be individually unsure on the point. The war in Iraq is diminishing in importance in the voters' view, and the next president may well just complete the already-planned withdrawal whatever his views on the past controversies.

Ideally, of course, crime should be primarily a state and local issue and not a big concern in the federal races. Our government does not conform to that ideal, though, and it matters a great deal who will be appointing federal judges for the next four (and probably eight) years. Whatever differences we may have with President Bush on other issues, he hit two home-runs in two at-bats on Supreme Court appointments, a better average than any other president in living memory. For other federal courts as well, his appointments have made a huge difference. The Ninth Circuit is still a problem, but it is far better than it was. In the Midwest, the court formerly known as the Ninth-upside-down actually has a thin majority of persons of sense now, the reverse of the previous situation.

The difference between the candidates on judicial appointments is stark. We have previously noted them here and here. Let's hope this important issue gets more attention before the election.

Update: WaPo political blogger Chris "The Fix" Cillizza has an updated electoral vote prediction map in this post. He comes up with Obama 289, McCain 249, but only after an agonizingly close call on Ohio. Flip Ohio's 20 votes and it comes out to a dead heat: 269-269. So, Ohioans, do you want the Sixth Circuit to go back to the way it was?