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I, too, think that the internals are the key and this emphasis upon general polling, not state-by-state electoral, is a mistake. Big picture sells MSM news time--the real election is 50 smaller ones and the parties know it. It is really down to NM, IA, MN, WI, PA, and particularly OH and FL as to who will be our President in 2005. Actually, just OH and FL.

The good news, if there is such a thing these days, is that the private polling by Republicans in at least our state (which has a history of being more accurate than nationally reported polling), has Bush with 6-8% lead, depending on the day. Zogby gives him +3 in our state, the rest +5. They are wrong. WE can already tell where Bush's coattails ARE and ARE NOT with out internals. If everyone is so wrong about one state, which is not currently a battleground, I doubt much of what has been reported in national polling. We battle two major city MSM markets plus one secondary city market. WE have major universities and industry but it is the outstaters--the small businessmen and farmers--not the students--who determine who runs our government. we also are 36% conservative Christian voters statewide, a little reported secret asset of the Bush campaign.

Barring a major surprise against Bush the last weekend (one like the DUI, not something terrorist), W. is going to carry our state big---and I KNOW he will others as well.