With two more days until the new leader of the free world is chosen, the polls have narrowed in some states, but most pundits are still picking Obama for a decisive victory. From here on in, expect to hear less about the clothes, money and make-up, and more about the ins and outs of the baffling electoral college system, the various flakey contraptions used for casting votes, and the armies of lawyers poised to protest once it’s all over. Crikey helps you navigate this final leg of the race by sifting through the media muck to find all the best news, polls, analysis and videos at our Campaign Crikey live news page and blog.

Here’s our daily pick of the best news commentary and analysis, as featured on the Campaign Crikey website: 

Gap narrows to six points. In the campaign’s final week, McCain is getting the boost that Republican candidates typically receive when the sample is narrowed from the base of 2,995 registered voters to those most likely to vote. — Pew Research Centre

What a McCain win looks like. In each and every one of the 624 victory scenarios that the simulation found for him this afternoon, McCain won Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Indiana and Montana. He also picked up Ohio in 621 out of the 624 simulations, and North Carolina in 622 out of 624. If McCain drops any of those states, it’s pretty much over. — FiveThirtyEight

Our polls are on the mark. I think. Could polling be similarly embarrassed this month, misjudging the last chapter of this epic presidential election? Thoughts of the Granite State jolt me and my fellow pollsters awake in the dead of night during these final days. — Washington Post

The youth vote could change history. The net effect of young people’s enthusiasm about Obama is likely to outstrip his candidacy. There’s data suggesting that once people vote they will vote again, making it a civic habit, and that party affiliation tends to remain unchanged from a relatively early age. The young Democrats voting today will be the middle-aged Democrats voting tomorrow. — Anna Quindlen, Newsweek

The campaign the changed America. A momentous campaign has changed the rules of US politics forever. While John McCain has tried to refresh Republicanism in the face of George Bush’s unpopularity, Barack Obama has galvanised millions, received unprecedented funding and crossed gender, age and race lines. America will never be the same again. — Guardian

In defence of undecided voters. Political junkies should remember that some people have a real life, one not spent constantly refreshing the polling averages on realclearpolitics.com. — Time

2008’s real loser will be Karl Rove. Rovian politics has come to symbolize the politics of hot buttons — which means arousing passions so partisans flock to the polls because they believe if they fail to vote the republic will fall apart due to a caricature skillfully implanted in their minds of the opposing candidate. The problem over the past 8 years: these electioneering tactics have not proven to lead to skillful governance, not led to smart choices in building expanding coalitions for the White House, and failed to create a safety net of support that could be counted on when polls go south. — The Moderate Voice

The latest election coverage on the Crikey blogs:

Presidential election minus five days — Poll Bludger

Obama’s position has improved dramatically — Corporate Engagement

Best of the Sunday talk shows — US election blog

Joe strikes again — Rundle Live

The best clips from our US election video wrap — posted daily on the Crikey US election blog:

McCain stood up by Joe the Plumber

If David Lynch directed McCain’s attack ads