] Though the "swift boat" controversy is a convenient foil,
] and can't have helped Kerry, the shift looks to represent
] broader assessments. The Massachusetts senator has lost
] ground on unrelated items ranging from "a vision for the
] future" to trust to handle health care and education.

This is a detailed collection of data about where the public stands right now. The above discussion is a little bit disingenuous. Much like Dean's "YARRR," its clear that "swing voters" are extremely vulnerable to meaningless attack politics, especially when they are carried in the mainstream press, and their perceptions of a candidate on one issue impact their perceptions on totally unrelated issues.

Kerry's attempt to handle the swift boat veterans clearly failed. The press may also have chosen their candidate and may be spinning things in his favor. Monday's USA Today headlined a picture of Cheney getting off of a plane, and trumpeted Bush's strengths. Protestors where mentioned, but their message was heavily spun down. One would think 100,000 people in the streets of New York would be a more newsworth photo then Cheney's daily deplaning.

Our election is a popularity contest; a football game. If the press is really smart they'll steer things back to Kerry next month, and then back to Bush again in October... Keeping you on the edge of your seats until the big event. Gotta sell copy...

] Though the "swift boat" controversy is a convenient foil,
] and can't have helped Kerry, the shift looks to represent
] broader assessments. The Massachusetts senator has lost
] ground on unrelated items ranging from "a vision for the
] future" to trust to handle health care and education.

I think you are right - the press's darling has been chosen. I saw more air time to old mean looking white people waving flip flops last night than to the thousands and thousands on the streets outside protesting.