Sometimes appearances become reality. People hear a bank is unstable and suddenly there’s a run on its assets. MTV announces that a nobody has just become the next rock phenom and at once iTunes sales of her one-hit wonder are shooting through the roof. Right now, the political pundits on both the right and left are saying John McCain’s run for the Presidency is in big trouble, Sarah Palin notwithstanding. For another week, JOM — the journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society — will let you weigh in on who’s best for science, and, presumably, the nation.

Okay, to be honest, it’s not polling who’s best for science but for “materials science.” You know what that is, the study of the properties of things and how they can be tweaked. But presumably they’re only crafting the question that way because of their parent company. After all, they do point undecided voters to the Science Debate 2008 website for on-the-record comments on research issues by both the candidates.

So, here's a chance to help turn the opinion tables for McCain — or further cement Obama’s apparent lead. As you may of heard, Obama's rep got another little boost yesterday, thanks to one of the new Nobel winners. (At a teleconference for reporters with this year's winners for chemistry, Martin Chalfie of Columbia University announced that one of his first thoughts after learning he'd be sharing the Nobel prize was how he could get his name added to the letter by Nobel laureates supporting Obama.)

The question JOM asks: Which U.S. presidential candidate do you think would better advance the cause of the materials science and technology profession if elected? After three weeks, Obama’s ahead by 16 points, having garnered 57 percent of the votes to McCain’s 41 percent. (The rest opted for “other”.)

You can cast your vote here. JOM promises to publish the result in its November issue.

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