Mon:

Don't ever say it's over until it's over. And it won't be over until November 3, god willin' and the crick don't rise.

We gotta keep the nose to the grindstone. Don't let up. Keep talking to folks. Write emails. Register a voter or two. Volunteer to pick people up and drive them to the polls.

Oh yeah and donating some probably won't hurt neither.

Don't ever say it's over until it's over.

Yup. And the best thing in the world that we could see, from now until the 2nd, is a 1-3 point Kerry deficit. Because if it starts to look like we're comfortable, left-wing nuts [NB -- I am a left-wing nut] will think it's OK to vote their "conscience," and we will lose.

You guys need to chill about EVC. Read the front page below the results graphic. He's working with a 7-day average window. That means all the polls showing the ground Kerry's won since last Thursday's debate won't be reflected until this Friday.

Read it again, figmo. He says that he has dropped the averaging. Also, a number of these polls are just out today.

The nicest thing for me on electoral-vote.com: the projected Senate numbers; 49 D, 50 R, 1 I. Since the I will vote with the Dems on leadership matters, Edwards as VP breaks the tie. That's going to be critical, as a Republican head of the Judiciary committee could do as Helms did and prevent Kerry's appointments from even getting hearings.

Minnesota and Iowa are much easier states for the Democrats to win than Missouri. If we win Minnesota and Iowa, Missouri will still be tough to win.

Jessica

The latest Zogby Interactive / WSJ Battleground poll has Kerry with

race2004.net seems to update more frequently than electoral-vote.com

My last comment got cut off... here is the latest WSJ / Zogby Interactive Battleground Poll. 322 EV for Kerry, but AR, FL, and NV are less than 1% on the blue side. WV, MO, and TN are the only battleground states where Bush is leading.

Electoral-vote only updates once a day, but goes with just the latest poll. Electoral-vote swings wildly because of this. Race2004.net updates all the time, but averages the last 3 polls, and only uses a poll if the Nader/not-Nader option in the poll is correct. Race2004 changed 10 states today, all but WV in Kerry's favor. Other sites which factor in the national polls are starting to move also.

I think there is some strong evidence suggesting that the states turning to blue had never really been red.

CA:

That whole Zogby/WSJ poll is over three weeks old, and was taken before any of the debates. So you can toss all of those results.

the wsj/zogby numbers are brand new

As for Missouri:
I understand that the bishop there in heavily Catholic Missouri has just now warned his faithful there that when they go to the polls, they must consider abortion, same-sex marriage, stem cell research, BEFORE considering the death penalty or war.

Well I'll tell you what Dorothy.

I'm a Roman Catholic, allbeit from NY not Missouri, and I will first consider abortion, same-sex marriage and stem-cell research. I will then consider the death penalty and war. And all that being done I will go into the voting booth and cast my vote for Kerry/Edwards.

And the best part is I'll do it all with a clear conscience.

Republican's hate to lose more than they hate democrats. That's why there will be an "October Surprise." Count on it. It's coming. It hasn't reared its ugly head because Republicans didn't have to ...until now. Wake-up Democrats. Diffuse its impact now. Prepare the public for Karl Rowe's dirty tricks, it will be difficult to do so later with all the chatter.

Republican's hate to lose more than they hate democrats. That's why there will be an "October Surprise." Count on it. It's coming. It hasn't reared its ugly head because Republicans didn't have to ...until now. Wake-up Democrats. Diffuse its impact now. Prepare the public for Karl Rowe's dirty tricks, it will be difficult to do so later with all the chatter.

Muckcat:
Good for you! I know there are millions of Catholics out there who, like you, can think for themselves.
I was ony cautioning that the newly-good news on the Missouri count is tenuous.

Dorothy,

I know.

The NYTimes piece on Kerry's Catholicism today pretty much sums up my own personal take on the relationship of religious faith to public/governmental policy. Although it's critical of Kerry for not being more forth coming about his faith (although he says he will address it before the election) it strikes a clear contrast between people like Kerry who practice religion in a personnel way and people like Bush who wear religion on their sleeves.

As a Catholic I am at peace with the fact that I am one citizen in a nation of millions. Millions who don't necessarily share my beliefs and as such I feel a responsibility to respect those differences. I attempt as best I can to live "a Christ-like life" and to spread the faith through my own personal actions, not by attempting to use government to impose my religion on those who do not desire it. The clearest example I can give regards abortion. I find the thought of abortion abhorrant. I do consider all life sacred. I would never council anyone to have an abortion. Yet I respect the fact that many of my countrywomen desire the right to control what happens to their bodies. I accept that. Should they choose abortion they will have to reconcile that within themselves.

As far as stem cell research goes I fully support it and won't get into the how and why.

Death penalty - opposed.