By Dan McDermott
Warren County Report Newspaper

If John McCain and his supporters have seemed angry at recent rallies it isn’t because they’ve been drinking too much coffee.

7-Eleven customers currently give Barack Obama a 20 point advantage in the company’s 7-Election poll of coffee drinkers. The Democrat Illinois Senator is leading by 60% to 40% over Republican McCain of Arizona.

Obama leads in all but three participating states. In North Carolina McCain is ahead by 2 points and in New Hampshire McCain is holding a 52-48 advantage. The two are tied 50-50 in West Virginia.

While of dubious scientific merit, the choices 7-Eleven coffee drinkers have made in the past two presidential contests have proven to be almost exactly correct nationally and close on a state-by-state basis.

According to 7-Eleven’s website, the 2000 7-Election had George Bush 1 point over Al Gore. In 2004, the tally gave Bush 51% and John Kerry 49%.

According to an employee at the new 7-Eleven in Crooked Run Center in North Warren County, VA (who said she planned to write-in Micky Mouse Nov. 4th) several customers return throughout the day to buy a second or third cup and boost their candidate’s score. Most customers purchase a cup with no logo. She figures they are independents.

7-Eleven serves more than 1 million cups of coffee per day.

While down 60-40 nationally in the 7-Election poll, John McCain is faring well at the new 7-Eleven in the north side Crooked Run Shopping Center. No other 7-Elevens in traditionally-Republican Front Royal and Warren County, VA had current results posted.

44 year-old Teddy Smoot of Shenandoah County, VA is a coffee drinker and a McCain man.

32 year-old Tata Lewis lives in Winchester, VA but works in the Sally Beauty Supply in Crooked Run Center in North Warren County, VA. She was buying her second Obama cup of the day.