PORTLAND, Ore. — More than any other month of the last four years, October will be filled with reporting about polls. And many stories about them will be as puzzling as a recent Associated Press dispatch that focused on the latest surveys about the presidential race in this hotly contested state.
“One poll conducted by an East Coast research firm gives Democrat John Kerry a 7-point lead over President Bush in Oregon,” the AP wire reported. “Another gives Bush a 4-point lead.” While observers scratch their heads, the battle for Oregon’s seven electoral votes continues.
Four years ago, Al Gore carried Oregon by a razor-thin margin. The results may be just as close this time around, so the men on the Republican and Democratic tickets — especially Dick Cheney and John Edwards — keep flying in for their quick sound-bites and photo-ops…
Read the full column.