Following the Thursday night speech and conclusion of the GOP convention, perhaps we can serve as color commentators at half-time. Below is the half time score. Prior to the opening of the convention, polls showed Bush with a 6-10 point lead.
Some bounce afterwards is normal and short-lived.
Some of that, no doubt, will diminish after Mr. Gore has his own convention. A worst case scenario is that by Labor Day, the score is tied or Bush has a three-point lead at half time. Either way, running against an incumbent, Bush is ahead at the end of the first half. It can only be, if Barnes is correct, that Bush has done well in the first two tests above. It should also be understood that passing these tests requires different skills.