[Full disclosure: My firm built Jeff Merkley's website, but I speak only for myself.]

I think there's something to be said about Obama's potential coattails in this race....

Around this point in 2004, Kerry was up by about 4. Now, Obama is up by 9, and there are over 100,000 new Democrats in the state

I was talking with a friend today and it struck both of us how there were a couple of houses in our neighborhoods, and several cars a day, which, in 2000 and 2004, had Bush signs or bumperstickers. Aside from one of each, I've seen very, very little presence of McCain, unless we get out into more rural areas.

I think it's possible that we see a historic level of Democratic turnout this time around...

Of what importance is being "the closest race?" I'm not sure that's an appropriate conclusion in any case, given that it's just a weighted (I presume) average of polls. What "closest" means in that context is simply "least volatile" or perhaps "equally extreme," such that wide variances on each side (eg, one poll with Smith up big and one with Merkley up big) cancel each other out. Or perhaps more likely, that previous polling is cancelled out by current polling. In a Presidential race there's enough contemporaneous polling to have an average mean something, but with just a few polls total on this race since the primary, it's entirely unclear what it means to be "close."

I still enjoy how when the Republican is ahead within the MoE it's "tied," but when the Democrat is ahead within the MoE the Democrat "leads."

"in all honesty Survey USA has been, put nicely, very very wrong in the past."

Actually they've been one of the best pollsters this cycle...?

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 9/22-24. Likely voters. MoE 4%

Merkley (D) 45 Smith (R) 40

Hey Marybeth.

Have you heard of Freedom's Watch? You know, the consortium of Bushies and billionaires, Likud Party supporters all, who are spending tens of thousands a week right now on anti-Merkley ads.

Do the Google and write a check to Jeff.........

Here's an ordering related to prospects for strengthening the D majority in the Senate:

11 NM T. Udall 55.1 Pearce 41.4
+13.70

5 CO M. Udall 44.7 Schaeffer 39.2
+5.50

5 NH Shaheen 49.4 Sununu 43.9
+5.50

3 AK Begich 48.3 Stevens 45.5
+2.80

2 NC Hagan 43.1 Dole 42.3
+0.80

1 OR Merkley 42.3 Smith 42.2
+0.10

4 MN Franken 41.3 Coleman 45.1
-3.80

7 MS-B Musgrove 42.4 Wicker 49.6
-7.20

9 KY Lunsford 38.8 McConnell 50.1
-11.30

10 TX Noriega 38.1 Cornyn 51.8
-13.70

Hagan's strength against Dole in NC is impressive.

TJ asked Of what importance is being "the closest race?"

Well, for starters, it tells the netroots where a small amount of involvement could make the biggest difference. The typical pundit ranking, based on "most likely to flip", is only interesting to D.C. lobbyists trying to figure out where to invest. Yeah, Mark Warner's going to win, we get it, who cares? (And note that it's such a foregone conclusion that Chris Lowe, above, forgot to include it in his "most likely to flip" ranking.)

I explain in further detail over at Swing State Project.