COVER
7 Things That Could Go Wrong on Election Day (The Well / Election Special)
When 130 million people vote, what do they get? Long lines, ID checks and court challenges. A guide to the potential chaos on November 4
NATION
Blue Dog Democrats on the Prowl (The Well / Election Special)
Democrats are poised to pick up House seats in conservative districts that have sent Republicans to Congress for years. How might they pull that off? By not talking about Barack Obama
Living in a World with Less Credit (The Well / Election Special)
The debts Americans have piled up are due. That means a lot less consumer spending and a lot more pain for everyone
Will the Market Kill Your Marriage? (Election Special)
Downturns prompt divorce. Here's why this one could be an even bigger pain in the assets
Excerpts from Klein's Interview with Obama (The Well / Interview)
ESSAY
Election Coverage, and the 'Real' Issue (Commentary / Tuned In)
Pols and pundits think they can judge who's an authentic American? Time for a reality check
Why Barack Obama Is Winning (The Well / In the Arena)
TIME talks to the Democratic candidate and examines the way he has evolved
Barack Obama: The TIME Interview
Multimedia: Joe Klein analyzes his exclusive with the Democratic nominee
Here Be Monsters (The Well / Election Special)
As the vote nears, both sides believe the other party is trying to steal the election. Both are right
Breast Cancer's Fundraising Warrior (Commentary)
A breast-cancer survivor's story teaches lessons about courage and joy
BRIEFING
The Shadow Factory
The Moment
10|22|08: Tampa
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Verbatim
The Page
The Bradley Effect
Politicos are abuzz over the last hurdle Obama must clear in his path to the presidency
Pop Chart
Milestones
Levi Stubbs
Mr. Blackwell
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Older Writers Revisiting Their Younger Selves (Books)
John Updike, Toni Morrison and Philip Roth return to early works to rewrite what they got wrong
Stage Fight (Theater)
The war in Iraq hasn't made for great movies. But in the theater, conflict breeds creativity
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
BUSINESS
The Comeback Keynes (Election Special)
Once derided, his ideas now dominate D.C.'s crisis tool kit. Not bad for a dead economist
Stocks Sinking? Be like Me: Buy Eli Manning (Life / First Person With:)
Megan McBride, jock-market trader, 25
SOCIETY
When Confession Takes Place Online (Life / Religion)
Tech-savvy churches catch on to a secular trend
Chocolate, Meet Choco-Luxe (Life / Food)
How high-end start-ups and far-out flavors are upgrading America's favorite candy
Madagascar Goes Green (Travel)
Ecotourism is helping put this island nation on the map and save its endangered species too
Run for Your Lives (Life / Fit Nation)
Dust off those sneakers. Data from a long-term study show jogging slows the effects of aging
WORLD
Postcard from Damascus (Postcard: Damascus)
Syria's economic boom provides the luxuries it has long desired, but the country still wrestles with its old demons. The new culture of an ancient city
SPECIAL SECTION
London Falling (Global Business / Banking)
Fueled by a finance boom, the city was a magnet for money and talent. Now a darker era looms
House Hunters (Global Business / Small Business)
By tallying the nation's foreclosures, a California company defines the housing bust
Business Books (Also In This Issue)
Buying on the brain: using MRIS, a researcher takes a look at what brands we have in mind and why product placement fails. Walking the talk works; the Google chronicles
TO OUR READERS
Closing In on Election Day
On Nov. 4, a record turnout might cause a host of problems. But until then, we have Joe Klein tracking Obama's evolution