The Keystone

A new poll released from Temple University and the Philadephia Inquirer has Kerry up by two on Bush. More good news:

A majority of respondents in the poll released Sunday backed Kerry's positions on issues, with 81 percent viewing the rising federal budget deficit as a serious problem, 62 percent favoring the government doing more to restrict gun sales, and 53 percent opposed to making it harder for a woman to get an abortion.

The candidates also broke just about even on trust issues.

Here, I think, is part of what John Kerry has to overcome in the debates:

Voters rated Bush as the stronger of the candidates, by 53 percent to 34 percent...

I actually like the bar so low. Kerry clearly has found his game in the last week, and one can only hope he continues his strong showing throughout the next week into the debates. If so, those "strong candidate" numbers have nowhere to go but up, and Pennsylvania swings to Kerry even stronger. Then he can divert that money to Ohio, Florida, etc. If he fails to bump those number up, it is another long election night. I just hope I don't have to work the next day.