If past presidential contests are any barometer, this election will be close. At press time, Sen John McCain (R-Ariz) and Sen Barack Obama (D-Ill), were running neck-and-neck in national polling. We asked these industry players to make a prediction. Here is how they see it.

• John Gallagher, VP of government relations for the VGM Group, Waterloo, Iowa: "I think McCain will eke out a win at the end. Even though McCain has worked hard to establish himself as a maverick, the Republican label is still attached to him in the eyes of a lot of people who are tired of the Bush administration and all that goes with it—the war in Iraq, the troubled economy, the high price of gas. But despite all that, Obama is not running away with this contest. Right now, given all these factors, Obama should be up in the polls by 20 points, and he is not."
• David T. Williams, strategy consultant with Partners in Public Policy in Amherst, Ohio: "I believe the winner will be Obama. When you take the average of all the major polls, they show Barack ahead, or within striking distance, of McCain in the key electoral vote states. A friend of mine in Colorado who plans to vote for Obama put his opposition to McCain this way: ‘Why would I buy Bush lite?'"
• Donald White, CEO of Associated Healthcare in Buffalo, NY: "I'm guessing Obama. He's got youthfulness, and the general mood of the country is for a change of direction. The people I talk to, they don't feel things are going as well as they could. The situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the runup of oil prices, the effect that higher consumer prices are having on people's lives. Basically, we're back to ‘It's the Economy, Stupid.' Personally, I don't think Obama represents positive change for the economy, but most people see any move away from a Republican as positive change."
• Larry Rice, president of Dallas-based In Home Products: "McCain has been running a lackluster campaign, while Obama has generated excitement but not backed it up with substance. Another problem is that people are catching on to the idea that candidates these days—not just those running for president and regardless of party—lack concern and respect for the American public. That said, I believe the winner will be Obama. He appeals to younger voters and he's got America's pop culture institutions behind him."
• Vernon R. Pertelle, MBA, RRT, assistant VP of Tri-City Hospital District in San Diego: "I think the Democrats will prevail, across the board, in part because of the lingering war and the failing economy. The Democrats have a record of innovation, and that's what the country needs right now. On the other hand, the natural conservatism of Republicans tends to limit their ability to think outside the box. The Republicans have, by and large, failed in their efforts domestically and in foreign policy."
• Les DeFelice, CEO and president of DeFeliceCare in Wheeling, WVa: "Obama is connecting with as broad a cross-section of the American people as I have seen in quite a while. A lot of people—especially our youth—seem interested in Obama's message of hope and change."
• Tim Pederson, ATS, CEO of WestMed Rehab, Rapid City, SD: "I think McCain will win, because people ultimately will gravitate toward the candidate with experience."