I think it's too early to tell, because I don't think those polls had time to absorb the impact of the constant coverage this is getting. Look, maybe I'm just a nervous nellie, but I don't have a good vibe about the effect of this. Obviously, the documents are fake, the allegations are bogus, but the Democrats aren't keeping score the same way you and I are. They are chipping away at Bush's credibility among people who don't pay close attention to the facts and keeping the faith among their base. I'm not saying it's a disaster, I'm saying I think Bush would be doing better without it.
Killian’s secretary pointed out the terminology in the forged document was not consistent with Bush’s Air National Guard unit at all, but was consistent with Army National Guard terminology. Bill Burkett was in the … Army National Guard.
Here’s a lengthy interview with Burkette by extreme rabid partisan Kevin Drum. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1214406/posts
More fun from 2000: http://www.onlinejournal.com/bush/110400Starr-Conover/110400starr-conover.html
Newsweek explicitly states Burkette is the source, a person with a grudge against the National Guard and Bush: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5974040/site/newsweek/
Burkette’s February accusation in CNN: “"I glanced down at the top of those documents. In ink was the word ‘Bush, George W., 1 Lt.’ This was a performance report. I was right at the trash can. I filtered through the top five or six pages in that, and they were all copies and originals of old performance documents and pay records for ‘Bush, George W., 1 Lt.". http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/12/elec04.prez.bush.texas.records/
The Boston Globe raises questions about the above CNN Burkette February anti-Bush accusation: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2004/02/13/doubts_raised_on_bush_accuser?mode=PF
Bill Burkette's lawyer David Van Os was the Travis County Democratic Party Chairman, 1996-98. He travelled to Palm Beach, Florida, Nov/Dec 2000, to assist Democratic Party in vote recount efforts.
Click on the several Bill Burkett links here and learn just how unusually motivated a partisan democrat he is, in his own words: http://www.geocities.com/stoutdem/chair.html
Burkette attempted (and failed) to sue his commanding officers for conspiring to deny him medical treatment: http://www.3rdcoa.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/htmlopinion.asp?OpinionId=10979
Article points out forgeries were faxed from Abeline Texas Kinko's, the closest one to Bill Burkett's home. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24635-2004Sep15.html
I don't think you are following the polls. When you have 73% of the people polled that think the documents are false, it's not a leap for people to start putting two and two together.
Dan Rather with the help of his "forgers" wanted to take down a sitting President.
Most Americans aren't going to like that one bit.