Jonathan:
Yes, Obama picked the wrong subject, but he is doing what Cameron did to Brown over in the UK.  Pick a topic out of nowhere and hit the front runner with it.  Brown suffered a big drop on polls in a short time.  In fact, it caused Brown to scrap holding snap elections.

And the undecided numbers are what creep, or even if Edwards creeps up in third, but Obama is flat then I say no big deal.

You can't expect Clinton to run away forever.  Races tend to tighten at some point.

I think we may be seeing a point 2 months out where voters say okay Hillary convince me.  That is what she has to do.

If on the other hand Obama is moving up big, as in he is gaining 8, 9, 10% then I will say there may be a fundamental shift occuring.

Fred Thompson gave a speech today full of fear about Social Security on the brink of collapse. His solution: but benefits and privatize.

Clinton talks about the danger of Democrats parroting Republican talking points on SS in her podcast interview with Time Magazine, here:

http://www.sonibyte.com/audio/4940.final

For those who believe that the Republicans have given up on trying to gut Social Security, or that they have forsaken their tactic of proclaiming that the sky is falling, think again.

Calling the current social security system "unsustainable" and "draconian cuts" in benefits inevitable, today Thompson announced his "plan to save social security." Continuing with the themes he has been trumpeting on the campaign trail, the Thompson plan calls for optional private social security accounts and the indexing of social security benefits to inflation rather than wages.

From the looks of it, Thompson isn't the only Republican presidential candidate calling for privatization, either. This stuff does matter.

So now Obama is scaring seniors about social secutiry talking about a crisis - some new kind of politician.  But it is bipartisan - that's true.  Obviously this really angers me - why couldn't he find other issues with which to distinguish himself from Hillary - ones that do not harm the Democratic label and maybe social security itself.

"clearly there is no crisis"??? There is an enormous funding shortfall crisis looming in the next few decades, and it's time that progressives address it. If we don't recognize the problem, conservatives will eventually gain the upper hand on this issue. Obama's statement is a perfect example of what he does best: being honest and frank about issues that matter.

Here's a link to the new Marist Poll:

http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/NH/NHPZ 0711.htm

I'm glad to see Obama and Edwards finally making a horserace of it. It's like a good close football game. The fans on edges of the seats. The band is playing. Electricity is in the air. Let's strap 'em on and play the second half!

that will be in the globe this Sunday.