Is Kenney <i>that</i> far ahead?

The poll released Wednesday showing Jim Kenney with a stunning lead is encouraging and frustrating.

It's encouraging, because if you read into it (and please do) the usual "racial math" doesn't seem to be applying. "Racial math" means people tend to vote for people who look like them. (I'll expand on this in next Tuesday's column.) It's not so much racist as racial.

It's frustrating to the five Democratic dwarfs who simply could not get traction.

It's hard to believe T. Milton Street and Doug Oliver ever thought they had a shot, but they could have been spoilers for Tony Williams. Split the back vote, elect Kenney. (Cue the conspiracy theories.) With 15 percent, Williams seems like he was his own spoiler.

i can see why a few black leaders hate the idea of blacks voting for a white candidate over a black candidate, because that dilutes black power. But turn it around and ask would it be palatable for white leaders to say whites should vote only for them to hold on to white power? Of course not. And, yes, there is a difference, but, basically, it amounts to the same thing.

Kenney's lead is so enormous, it seems to negate any possible polling error, but error remains possible.

In a chat (via email) I had with Street last week, I asked him to predict what percentage of the vote he would capture.

He told me between 22-25 percent. My estimate was 6-8 percent, but even that was wildly optimistic. According to the poll, sponsored by the Daily News, Inquirer, Philly.com and NBC10, Street was tied with Oliver at a piddling 3 percent.

Street, however, says that many of his supporters aren't reached by usual polling methods.

In the poll, Kennedy has more support than the other five combined – his 42 percent to their accumulated 41 percent. I find that hard to believe.

Given when the poll was taken, I think I was part of it.

I was called at home and asked if I would participate, it would take eight minutes.

I didn't know who the poll was taken for, but I agreed.

I was asked if I worked for a media company. I lied and said I didn't. That wasn't the only thing I lied about. I should be ashamed, but I wanted to get a peek inside. (Report me to the proper journalistic authoritities, if you want.)

A lot of people who will actually vote don't participate and should. (I am what they call a  "super voter," meaning I always vote.)

I know who I am actually voting for on Tuesday. And I am not telling.