Barone on the Numbers

Analyst Michael Barone, writing for RealClearPolitics, takes a look at the various sources of polling data and concludes those who say Obama is a slam dunk are deluding themselves. We can hope he is correct. I like this Barone thought:

General elections involving sitting presidents usually turn out to be verdicts on the incumbent. Challengers who meet minimal standards tend to win if most voters want the incumbent out.

One thing we know for sure: it is too early to take the numbers very seriously. The only people paying close attention to politics now are folks like us, those who follow politics pretty much constantly, either as participants or as a spectator sport. And as noted yesterday, some of the numbers are more than a little suspect.