Every campaign story in my Sunday New York Times suggests that John Kerry is hopelessly screwing up, but every poll taken since the convention ended, now including the Newsweek poll, shows Bush with a lead of 7 points or less, which the exception the Time poll. In Newsweek, the Bush lead dropped from 11% to 6% in a week.

In Newsweek, by the way, the "right track/wrong track" question is now very much against Bush ("Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time?" -- satisfied, 39%; dissatisfied, 53%) and Bush's job approval is at 48%, just about where it's been all year, and below the magic 50% number that the Bushies say means he's going to be reelected.

So spare me the funeral music -- the Kerry campaign is very much alive.