Thursday's Pre-game Show

Polls, just what the heck are you to make of them.  You look at them, you play with the numbers, you delve into the breakdowns, and hopefully you come up with some insight.  Until the next one comes out with a completely different result than the last one.

I am not talking about the national ones for president (by the way there are something like 88 different polls out there).  At this point, you can do all the polling you want for that one.  I do think the popular vote will be extremely close.  I am still standing by the "prediction that Obama wins the electoral college vote, and that I don't think will be close.

The poll I am talking about is the latest in the Brown/Warren race.  A UMass/Boston Herald poll released today shows Brown with a 4% lead over Warren.  It covers the period of 9/13 - 9/17.  There was a WMUR/Mass Inc poll covering 9/15 - 9/17 giving Warren a 5% lead, and a Suffolk/7 News poll giving her a 4% lead for the period of 9/13 - 9/16; a PPP poll for the same period giving her a 2% lead; and, a Western NE U poll covering 9/6 - 9/13 giving her a 6% lead.

Quite frankly any poll more a week old is just that, a "weak" and "old" poll.  But it is in the mix, until something better comes along.

I still haven't quite have figured out how they compile all the results from the differing polls to come up with an "average", but the consensus average seems to be a 2.6% lead for Warren.

What does it all mean?

Well the first thing it means to me is my breakfast bet, at least for today, isn't lost yet.

Besides that, not much.  After tonight's debate you can throw all the polls out because everyone will have to start from scratch.  The debates are going to make or break this race.

If you are looking for an interesting piece that will help bring you up to date, at least a bit, on the race, what you should be looking for, and that has a great ending about how we should be looking at the debate, I suggest the post by Walter Frick on BostonInno.

I am going to do my best to put up a debate piece tomorrow.  I got the DVR set to record the debate, and assuming I get permission to watch the television when I get home tonight after my meeting, I will do my best.  

Problem is, odds are it will be past my bedtime, so getting permission may be tough, and staying awake to watch the whole thing may be even tougher.

Fear not though, I will get to it at some point.  

So get the popcorn and soda ready.  Kick back and give a hour of your time to the real world of politics.