MSNBC is reporting new poll results:

Bush 49
Dean 45

Bush 48
Clark 45

Interesting (and positive). But what's fascinating about this is the shift in conventional wisdom coupled with completely incorrect reporting. Look, the article says:

Dean continues to poll best against Bush, with 45 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him, compared to 49 percent for Bush. Last month, 43 percent would have voted for Dean and 49 percent Bush. In a race against Clark, Bush would win 48 percent of the vote vs. 45 percent for Clark. Last month, those numbers were 49 percent and 43 percent.

Don't know how they get "best" out of that. Moreover, I find the word "continues" to be telling. Just a few weeks ago on various Dem discussion boards everyone was hyperventilating because Dean was allegedly polling "the worst" of all the major candidates against Bush. People have made this very claim on DailyKos today, even. But to MSNBC, the storyline is now shifting to 'Dean has always been strong against Bush.' Fascinating.

Given that both Dean and Clark continue [sic] to poll well against Bush, and given that they have messages consistent with each other's, and given that Edwards presumably lumps me in with the 'you people' who should never presume to comment on anything that doesn't directly concern my own regional interests, I'm back to leaning towards a Dean/Clark ticket. But it's gotta' be Dean at the top of the ticket, because General or no General, Dean's the one who's actually trying to lead the Democrats out of the political wilderness.