Gallup polling analysis puts Barack Obama one point ahead of John McCain on the basis of interviews conducted August 24-26 and seems to support the conviction that Obama still leads the race for the presidency while slso suggesting that McCain’s planned Friday announcement of his running mate may dampen Obama’s convention bounce.

Polling also shows that Obama’s support among conservative Democrats is eroding. Perhaps one may hope that Joe Biden and the Clinton endorsement will help Obama here, particularly if the Clintons campaign actively for him. I’m of the opinion that Hillary’s endorsement was straightforward and that the subtext analysis of last night’s speech (which was the best speech I have ever heard her make) is getting pretty silly.

Bill Clinton’s speech tonight will pretty thoroughly upstage Biden, but Biden has signed on to be upstaged in agreeing to run for the vice presidency. Both speeches, Clinton’s and Biden’s as well, should tell us something about what to expect from the next stages of the campaign.