Ruy Teixeira

Any democrat who isn't reading Ruy Teixeira's Donkey Rising blog every day is missing out on the most cogent, intelligent and levelheaded poll analysis anywhere.

Today he examines the latest polls from Pennsylvania, starting off with this oh-so-true observation:

There's been a shocking amount of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in Democratic circles considering that most polls still show Kerry ahead. Indeed, the just-released ICR poll (see below) has Kerry ahead by 7 points among RVs, a greater margin than the same poll had three weeks ago.

After discussing the vagaries of polling registered vs. likely voters:

Conclusion: there is no tightening in the PA race once we do an apples to apples comparison.

If you spend any time over at Daily Kos you know that the hysteria in certain circles has reached typhoon proportions. A lot of Kos bloggers (and this is not true of Kos himself, nor of the estimable Chris Bowers) have never warmed to John Kerry, and are poised on the rail of the ship, ready to jump at the first wave.

Howard Dean got over it, and one might respectfully suggest it's time they did too.