Daily Kos Elections Polling Wrap: Comedy ensues as the GOP frantically try to 'un-skew' the polls

With just six weeks to go, it is now evident that there is a clear-cut way in which the 2012 election cycle is unique from its predecessors. And not, as it happens, in a particularly good way.

Polls late in the election season have always invigorated those out in front, and to some extent dispirited those running behind. As a result, supporters of the trailing candidate or party have always beseeched supporters to either discount or ignore bad polling, and press on as if the race was a true dead heat.

But, in my two decades of following elections, never have I seen such a broad effort, from the most wacky corners of the blogosphere to people in positions of high authority in the campaign in question, to attempt to smear and discredit pessimistic data. That Republicans have decried media conspiracies in the past is old hat to anyone that has seriously followed campaigns. But it is a bit mournful to see the GOP's war on science extend now to simple mathematics.

More on the rantings of the haters skeptics after the jump. But first, the numbers:

PRESIDENTIAL POLLING:

NATIONAL (Gallup Tracking): Obama 48, Romney 45

NATIONAL (Ipsos/Reuters Tracking): Obama 49, Romney 42

NATIONAL (PPP for Daily Kos/SEIU): Obama 50, Romney 45

NATIONAL (Rasmussen Tracking): Obama 47, Romney 47

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ARKANSAS (TalkBusiness/Hendrix College): Romney 56, Obama 35

FLORIDA (Washington Post): Obama 51, Romney 47 (LV); Obama 52, Romney 43 (RV)

NEVADA (Public Opinion Strategies--R): Obama 46, Romney 46

NEVADA (PPP): Obama 52, Romney 43

NEW JERSEY (Monmouth University): Obama 52, Romney 37

OHIO (Gravis Marketing--R): Obama 45, Romney 44; Obama 45, Romney 38, Johnson 11

OHIO (Washington Post): Obama 52, Romney 44 (LV); Obama 52, Romney 41 (RV)

DOWNBALLOT POLLING:

FL-SEN (PPP): Sen. Bill Nelson (D) 46, Connie Mack IV (R) 37

FL-SEN (Washington Post): Sen. Bill Nelson (D) 54, Connie Mack IV (R) 40 (LV); Sen. Bill Nelson (D) 55, Connie Mack IV (R) 37 (RV)

MA-SEN (Rasmussen): Sen. Scott Brown (R) 48, Elizabeth Warren (D) 48

MI-SEN (Rasmussen): Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) 53, Pete Hoekstra (R) 37

NV-SEN (Public Opinion Strategies--R): Sen. Dean Heller (R) 44, Shelley Berkley (D) 39, David VanderBeek (IAP) 4

NV-SEN (PPP for the League of Conservation Voters): Shelley Berkley (D) 48, Sen. Dean Heller (R) 44

NJ-SEN (Monmouth University): Sen. Bob Menendez (D) 49, Joe Kyrillos (R) 34

OH-SEN (Gravis Marketing--R): Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) 44, Josh Mandel (R) 43

OH-SEN (Washington Post): Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) 53, Josh Mandel (R) 41 (LV); Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) 51, Josh Mandel (R) 39 (RV)

PA-SEN (Susquehanna Research--R): Sen. Bob Casey (D) 46, Tom Smith (R) 41

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IA-03 (Benenson Strategies for the DCCC): Rep. Leonard Boswell (D) 45, Rep. Tom Latham (R) 45

IL-08 (PPP for the League of Conservation Voters): Tammy Duckworth (D) 52, Rep. Joe Walsh (R) 38

MA-06 (Stinson Strategies for the NRCC): Richard Tisei (R) 47, Rep. John Tierney (D) 35

NJ-03 (McLaughlin and Associates for the Runyan campaign): Rep. Jon Runyan (R) 51, Shelley Adler (D) 34

NY-11 (Siena College): Rep. Michael Grimm (R) 48, Mark Murphy (D) 38, Hank Bardel (G) 6

PA-04 (Tarrance Group for the Perry campaign): Scott Perry (R) 52, Harry Perkinson (D) 30, Others 8

A few thoughts, as always, await you just past the jump...