Interesting point. I was wondering what could have caused this sudden uplift in Bush's numbers (considering that hardly any of the interviews were done after his debate last night) and then you reminded me of Cheney's crushing of Edwards earlier in the week. Hopefully, Bush's performance last night will register in the polls by the beginning or middle of next week.
If so, the pressure is on Kerry for the last debate, which I instinctively feel will be a draw. After that, if Bush has a decent lead in the mid-single digits, there are only three weeks left for Kerry to claw back.
On top of all this, we have the promised focus on Kerry's liberal Senate record by the Bush campaign and Rove's "couple of surprises", whatever they turn out to be. Advantage Bush.
Partly the Cheney-Edwards debate and -- I would like to think -- partly fallout from some of the really dumb things Kerry said in the first debate, including his "global test." And partly Bush's stellar speech in Pennsylvania last Wednesday, in which said the things he should have said in the first debate, and said them the right way -- with passion, energy, and conviction. Momentum has swung back to Bush. It is now job to put this thing to bed in the last debate by doing at least as well as he did last night.