I'm getting hazy reports from the field. As of 1 p.m. EST, exit polls show Kerry in the lead, Dean in close second within the Margin of Error.
Hopefully Jerome and Tom will check in soon, but Dean's visibility operation appears to be the best of the lot making the race more competitive than suggested by polls. On the flip side, Edwards is being hurt by his lack of a ground organization. That suggests that Clark may still snag that third place after all.
Warning -- this is all uncomfirmed. I haven't verified these reports, though I'm busting my ass trying. I'll post hard numbers as soon as I get them. Either released, or leaked.
Update: MSNBC will supposedly release their early exit poll numbers at 4 p.m. I'm kind of turned off at the thought of releasing exit poll numbers before the polls close, but as an addict, I crave them NOW!
Update 2: Here are the 1 p.m. exit poll numbers I've been able to get my hands on (from a media source. Caveat emptor):
LA Times:
Dean 34
Kerry 33
ABC News:
Kerry 37
Dean 31
In both these polls, both Clark and Edwards are hovering around 12 percent.
The National Review's The Corner has Kerry 36, Dean 31, Edwards 12 and Clark 12. Probably the ABC News tracking poll with Kerry's number rounded down.
And btw, I don't have any compulsion in posting mid-day tracking polls. They are the half-time score in the Super Bowl. Democracy will march onward. Heck -- if you're a Kerry voter, it means get your ass to the poll, since your guy doesn't have it in the bag. If you're a Dean voter -- get your ass to the poll since your guy has a serious shot. And if you're a Clark or Edwards voter, you have every motivation to get your guy that important third place finish.
