Actually, while the next round of polls will be interesting, as RCP says, the set after that (taking into accout any fallout from the Salon article) will be a real telling set.

The local GOP leader, who is first to put up the GOP posters on his lawn, has yet to put up an Allen sign, even though the Wolf sign has been up for weeks.  Hmmm.  He's ex-military.  Do I dare ask?

Ask him....I wonder if he's supporting Webb.

offer him a Webb yard sign...

Check out RCP for about 10 minutes and you'll figure out it's lean.  In fact, the co-founder of the site has an election prediction for this fall that just came out today (26 Sept) that will tell you ho far it leans.  But yeah, this is big news.  BTw, why haven't we seen any new VA Senate polls?

Check out RCP for about 10 minutes and you'll indeed see how conservative it is.  In fact, the co-founder of the site has an election prediction for this fall that just came out today (26 Sept) that will tell you how far it leans.  Still RCP is a great resource on elections.  But yeah, this is big news.  BTW, why haven't we seen any new VA Senate polls?

Just saying.  There may be a SLIGHT lean, but nothing that would damage their validity.

George can't get his words straight because Bush/Cheney are not standing next to him.  My opinion is that he is a superficial "fancy pants"  with a focus on 2008, only.  How can Virginia vote for someone who is in George Bush"s pocket, when it appears that "Bush's war" has spent our money for permanent military bases in Iraq and a huge US Embassy.  We have not done the will of the Iraqi people, and that is why all the trouble and they hate us. Now, we are in a terrible bind to stay there, but we need new direction and the honest reasons why we are there in the first place.  Corp. are making tremendous profits by our military actions.  But, Virginia, wake up and vote for Jim Webb.

I enjoy looking at RCP daily because of their constant updating of the latest polls (though they exclude Zogby I suppose because of its methodology) and indexing of recent opinion pieces.  The "RCP Average" can often be misleading because it will include the latest polls regardless of the numbers given (does anyone really think that the Gallup 48-48 generic ballot numbers are true?) but it's one of the best places to get the latest data.  Also, look at www.electoral-vote.com which also does an excellent job of recording poll results (and was a lot of fun during the 2004 election, though four days before the election it had Kerry with 298 EVs.  Not the site's fault, but just a reminder as to what polls really mean vs. turnout efforts).

As for RCP's lean, I did not necessarily detect one although a column they published by Mark Cass led their Monday article listing, and it was a mistake-filled, innuendo-laced factual nightmare concerning Pres. Clinton's defense of his policies against Chris Wallace.  Now that I look further, they might seem to favor towards the right, but that is probably just my perception (and they actually called the potential for a close race between Allen and Webb way back in February).  For what it's worth, they seem to be affiliated with Time and CNN.  Anyway, they are definitely a good resource among the many available.

Isn't it ironic that all of this, so call prejudices accused on Senator Allan is coming out now?  People need to stop and think about the timing of this.  Why do we think he is prejudice? is it because of a Jewish background?  This makes absolutely no since if you think about it.  Senator Allan is human and thank god for that!  If this is his only skeleton in his closet than I would say, he is doing pretty well.  Who has not said things that we later might regret saying.  The issues are not based on his personal comments that may become misconstrued, but rather what are the real issues our country faces...  The Democrats are working hard to run Senator Allan through the mud and that is what happens on election year.  The people's votes should not solely be based on random comments and religious beliefs, because than who is being the raciest if his background is Jewish. I would be worried more about the other candidates running against George Allen, just because nothing is coming out now, does not mean there aren't skeletons in there closet, possibly worse than the ones being drawn out on Senator Allan?

Are you an Allen supporter or are you a Democrat pretending to be an terrible Allen supporter?

You clearly know how to spell Allen's name (it's there once) but you choose to misspell it most cases.  You come close to making the latest Republican talking points yet fail to pull together a coherent argument.

What gives?

Is that you?

hahahahaaa

...Is the lying...

Is on the ballot and worth several percentage points to Allen.  It has helped every republican candidate in every state where it's been on the ballot.  I doubt that the pollsters are taking the marriage amendment into account and voters aren't focusing on it, yet.  Beginning in October, churches all over Virginia will be focusing on the amendment and organizing to get their voters to the polls.  It will be in every sermon, every Sunday, right up to two days before the election.  Churches will be running voters to the polls all day long on November 7th.  You can bet that their voters will be voting for Allen since he is the candidate who supports the marriage amendment.  They are conservatives and so is Allen. 

You might want to take that into account when you read the polls.  They aren't as close as it might appear. 

Just a word to the wise. 

Sure Allen will win the gay marriage opponent vote by a pretty substantial margin however, you're overlooking a key fact.  There are undoubtedly gay marriage opponents who will vote for Webb because of who he is and his service and his son's service.  Most importantly, there are those that will vote against Allen because he's unacceptable because of his behavior over the past 6 weeks.  Just because people vote yes on the gay marriage opposition doesn't mean they're going to overlook Allen's idiocy.  Put another way, by your argument Allen cannot possibly lose because so many people support the gay marriage opposition.

1) "Gay marriage" is already illegal in Virginia, so this amendment is superfluous.
2) The amendment goes far beyond "gay marriage," and very well may threaten the rights of heterosexuals as well.
3) If everyone read this entire amendment, it would lose. The question is, how may people will read the entire amendement?

:)

The entire amendment will be written out on the ballot, so people can read past the first sentence. I don't know how many will actually do this. Here it is.

BALLOT QUESTION NUMBER 1

Question: Shall Article I (the Bill of Rights) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to state:

"That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage."?

The second sentence is sweeping, and vague. If my sister or my co-worker and I decided to buy and share a house as joint tenants with right of survivorship, I'm not sure that we would be allowed to do so under this law. If I already co-own property with a non-spouse, I'm not sure whether the JOWRS status would continue after the amendment is approved.

There are probably ways around these problems-- involving plenty of legal fees for powers of attorney, etc. In that sense, this amendment looks like corporate welfare for law firms.

I understand that there was an argument in the State House over whether to allow the whole amendment to be printed on the ballot. Some of the bill's proponents didn't want to let the public read the whole thing on the ballot. Real bait and switch tactic.