The Washington Post hosts an online chat with Charlie Cook. This is excellent, a treat. He slams on the quality of polling information available on the Internet. Despite being a purveyor, I agree with him. How’s that for mind-bending.

The effects of the last debate won’t show up until next week. Polls typically take at least two days to complete, and pollsters usually start fresh after a big event. This is why results after the second debate are only trickling in now. In the meantime, more people think Kerry won than think Bush won the third debate, by between 1 and 14 points (CBS 39-25, ABC 42-41, CNN/Gallup 52-39, Democracy Corps 41-36). In addition to overall numbers, Kerry was favored among undecideds by 14 points (CBS), and among independents by 7 points (ABC) or 20 points (CNN/Gallup). Among independents in battleground states, where it matters most, the margin was 9 points (Democracy Corps [D]). A summary of polls for all three debates can be found here.