And the headline actually reads:
AP Poll: Bush, Kerry in Dead Heat
"DEAD HEAT"? A 3-point lead is a 3-point lead, not a "dead heat." They'd call an 8-point Kerry margin a "narrow lead." 15 points and it would be "barely ahead."
Last LV AP/Ipsos poll was from 10/6 and had Kerry +4. The poll before that was from 9/22 and had Bush +7. So the trend is still good. For some reason their LV model favors Kerry. Here's the full trend:
(poll - Bush-Kerry)
10/20 LV (RV): 46-49 (n/a)
10/6 LV (RV): 46-50 (47-47)
9/22 LV (RV): 52-45 (51-42)
9/9 LV (RV): 51-46 (51-43)
Other LV numbers:
Generic congress ballot: Dems 47% - GOP 46%
24% will vote before election day
47% job approval for Bush
Money quote: "In each case, Bush's approval numbers have held steady since the AP-Ipsos poll taken after the first presidential debate."
Money quote #2: "By an 18-point margin, Kerry is seen as best suited to create jobs for workers."
Kerry's still riding his post-first-debate wave.