Wow. I thought your skepticism was far better trained than that.
I think what happened is that the pollsters were looking at what they were saying for the past year and what their polls said that the American people were ACTUALLY saying and this is the way that they're aligning the two. Expect more of it in the future.
I don't think this was EVER a close race. Kerry was what? the third or fourth choice for the Dems after Dean and Edwards? Kerry just came out of literally NOWHERE and is running a neck-in-neck race with a popular sitting president from day one huh?
Bull. I think the bubble's about to burst and the pollsters are getting scared that they'll look like unmitigated fools and this is their attempt to bring some sanity to their polling.
Godspeed
Security, security and nothing but security. Economy without security = nothing. Gay marriage without security = nothing, etc., etc.