1.   A presidential preference poll conducted shortly after the Bush-Cheney ticket made its public debut last week gave Bush a double-digit lead over Gore among likely voters.

2.   But in an era of incessant and increasingly accurate voter preference polls, presidential candidates and their supporters can often see defeat coming long before the voting starts.

3.   Even while staying at home, Bush has consistently led GOP presidential preference polls and has collected far more campaign money than any other Republican presidential candidate.

4.   In nonpartisan judicial preference polls conducted by lawyer groups last spring, Price finished ahead of Austin attorney Cheryl Johnson, whom he defeated in the GOP runoff.

5.   In presidential preference polls, Nader shows up in single digits.

6.   Is it because Bush has been the runaway front-runner in the early presidential preference polls?

7.   It is time to end this outrageously exorbitant, obscenely protracted and ultimately undemocratic presidential preference poll.

8.   Maybe not, if a newly released presidential preference poll is to be believed.

9.   McCain appeared in the single digits in presidential preference polls taken earlier this year.

10.   Once the speeches end, votes will be cast and tallied and a winner in the presidential preference poll will be declared.