Fortunately, the PdL is languishing at little more than 15% in the opinion polls, and the elderly media tycoon will also be blamed by some voters for bringing down Mr Monti.
But Mr Abbas has outsmarted his internal as well as his external critics, and the latest opinion polls suggest that 83% of Palestinians in the territories back the UN bid.
Opinion polls suggest President Obama's Democrats will lose control of the House of Representatives, and the race for the Senate is also expected to be close.