Margin of Error

While the media may have moved on quickly from the Wesley Clark story, the American people have latched onto it. Clark has surged to the lead among Democrats - simply by entering the race. He hasn't made any new policy proposals, he hasn't electrified crowds, he (presumably) hasn't built a better network among Democrats than any of the other. But he has "electability" - the aura of someone who could run in a presidential race as more than a statement. Someone who stands for so little that a third of Americans could vote for him.

The Washington Post reported today that Clark has surged 9 percentage points past grassroots lefty Howard Dean. Also, Clark led Bush head-to-head: "Clark, who has yet to detail the agenda he will run on, bested Bush 49 to 46 percent in the poll, which is within the survey's margin of error."