Kerry bounce in "persuadables"

Yep, according to Annenberg, the Republican Convention did exactly what we thought it would by turning the swing voters away from Bush and toward John Kerry(pdf):

But among persuadable voters – respondents who said they were undecided among Bush,
John Kerry or Ralph Nader for president or who said they had a preference but there was a “good chance” they would change their minds – Bush approval dropped from 56
percent in August to 44 percent in September, while disapproval increased from 39 to 49 percent. The persuadable voters showed no statistically significant changes for Bush on either the commander-in-chief or war on terrorism questions.

(snip)

But among the persuadables, who make up about 16 percent of all registered voters,
opinion of Kerry actually improved. In August, 36 percent of persuadables had a
favorable opinion and 26 percent an unfavorable one. In the latest polling, 43 percent were favorable and 25 percent unfavorable.

Another reason for the change is the National Guard issue that continues to dog Bush:

Another Bush decline may have been more directly tied to news events. From September 3 through 6, the first four days of interviewing, 52 percent of respondents said they believed he had fulfilled his obligation to the Texas Air National Guard. But in the six days of polling that began September 7, when CBS News reported on documents it said showed his commanding officer believed he had shirked his duties, just 46 percent said they felt Bush had met his obligation. Belief among Republicans dropped from 82 to 75 percent; among independents the decline was from 47 to 40 percent. Only 23 percent of Democrats believed Bush in each period.

It's not all roses and sunshine, but Kerry gaining is a clear sign he still has legs and is closing fast. It's not over by a longshot.