Zogby has Clinton moving back ahead of Obama in Texas (47%-44%), a six point net move from the day before, and tied in Ohio (44%-44%), a two point move. Bear in mind that Zogby is actually an outlier in having it even close in Ohio and there now seems little doubt that, if the polls are to be credited, the late movement is all in Clinton’s direction.
It’s hard to say just what issues are responsible for the shift in momentum. It’s hard to believe the NAFTA stuff hasn’t played a role. The Farrakhan/Muslim/anti-Semitism stuff, which Clinton has pushed in concert with key press outlets, also probably plays a big role.
But I think the real story is a very effective working of the refs on the part of the Clinton campaign. Going back more than a week the Clinton campaign has made a concerted and aggressive push arguing that they’ve been the victim of systematically negative press coverage while Obama has gotten a free ride. Whether or not you agree with that claim there’s little doubt that the effort has paid off big dividends. The last week’s press coverage has featured a mix of stories on the question of relative scrutiny/fairness itself as well as more probing looks into Obama himself.
