The media continue to accord attention to the Gallup polls, despite their evident bias and unreliability (Gallup, run by Republicans, intentionally and by its own admission includes a larger sample of Republicans in its pool) (link via For the Record, whose own comments on the subject are worth reading too). This has created the impression both here and abroad that Bush now has the election “locked up,” an impression it is of course useful for the Republicans to propagate.

In fact, the least partisan and most sober polling site I have found, the Rasmussen Reports, showed a post-convention bounce for Bush of a few points (no double-digit leads), with Bush leading Kerry 49-45 for much of the last ten days or so. As of yesterday, that had narrowed again to 48-46, for Bush. Back in July, the split was similar, but with Kerry in the lead. 6% of the electorate in these polls is still undecided (what must their intellectual and moral condition be like?).

This is still, then, the proverbial “horse race” (a comparison no doubt unfair to horses, which are, after all, honorable and attractive animals).