Third party candidates debate: For those of you who didn't think it would happen, four of the independent candidates for president - Reform Party Presidential nominee Ralph Nader and Green Party candidate David Cobb, Constitution Party candidate Michael Peroutka and Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik - will be joining "Now with Bill Moyers" for a one hour discussion about issues that should be in the debate.
On WGBH 2 out of Boston, it will air tonight at 8 p.m. On WENH 11 in New Hampshire, it will air Sunday at 4 p.m. Check your local listings here: [http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html].

It's dead even: David Wissing, who has been tracking the state polls all year at his Hedgehog Report, has the race a dead even 269 to 269 between Bush and Kerry! His site is here: [THR Poll Watch]. This is huge for a bunch of reasons. First, it is the first time all year that the race has been "tied" according to compiled polls. Second, just before the first debate, Bush had a 90-vote EC lead on some polls. For Kerry to literally vault up so high after just one debate is a bit of a surprise. However, is it really? In 2000, Al Gore has a 74-vote EC lead and huffed and puffed it away in the first debate. He was as close as you can get to an incumbent in that race, being a sitting vice president and all.
Update: Late last night, Wissing updated his page and now has it 270-268, awarding one of Maine's EC votes - the state isn't a winner-take-all EC state; Nebraska isn't either - to Bush. Colorado may also award its EC votes by congressional district win instead of state win if the initiative petition passes in November. Personally, I think this is a good idea and it would be a good way "liberalize" the EC without eliminating it entirely.