This is lifted from BFA, and I haven't independently confirmed it or seen any details or anything, but if this is an accurate representation and if it persists, it's stunning.

Inside Politics reports on a new CNN/Time Poll of 1,004 adult Americans conducted by telephone on December 30 and January 1. Despite constant attacks from the inside-the- beltway pundits and campaigns, who keep charging that Dean is "unelectable," he now trails George Bush by a mere 5 points -- 51% to 46%.

Just to put that into perspective: in April of 1992, Bill Clinton trailed George H.W. Bush by 20 points.

I did not expect to be so close so soon. Keep up the hard work, everyone! Dean also fares well against individual other Dem candidates:

CNN's poll looks at hypothetical head-to-head pairings that test what will happen when the race is winnowed down, and against any one of the candidates, Dean wins:

Dean vs. Clark: 46% to 32%
Dean vs. Lieberman, 50% to 32%
Dean vs. Kerry, 51% to 29%
Dean vs. Gephardt 53% to 28%

Although, as BFA rightly points out, he's not running against one of them, he's running against all of them.

Still, I am really blown away by this poll result. We still have miles to go before we sleep, though. I've been doing some year-end financial tabulations and should be able to max out this month to Dean. Just got a snailmail request from the campaign for extra moola before the caucuses. On its way soon, Howard! Give 'em hell.