I am now convinced that the purpose of the "Daily Tracking Poll" is...

[Brotherjohn]

... so that the media (and those with an interest in the party/person severely lagging behind; i.e. McCain) can paint the inevitable swings in such a poll as a sign that an impending landslide is actually a close race.

I've been a cube rat all day, but have the networks been running around today saying "the race is close again!"? The latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll would appear to show that, as McCain has pulled into a tie again.
http://pollingreport.com/wh08gen.htm

But of course, frequent polling will swing all around. That only reveals the margin of error "at work", and why one poll by itself is no good. However, polls taken by various organizations with various methodologies show Obama to have a consistent and significant lead over McCain (I'd say it averages about 5 points). Even the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll has wobbled for many weeks between a tie and an Obama 9 point lead, typically settling somewhere in the middle after a couple of days at one extreme or the other.

One or two "Daily Polls" showing a tie or near tie, though, OF COURSE shows us how CLOSE the race actually is!

[Connie_Corleone]

1. Last time, Rasmussen had it tied and Gallup had Obama up by 5.

Now, Gallup has it tied and Rasmussen has Obama back up 2 over McCain.

Obama will probably be back up 2 in Gallup tomorrow or Sunday.

It's a bunch of nonsense.

[AndyTiedye]

2. They Are Under Orders to Make it a "Horse Race" so "Anything Can Happen"

i.e. the Repiggies can steal it again :(