Khazei Sneaking Up?

I tend to be skeptical of Rasmussen polls, but here goes... of likely Dem primary voters:

Coakley 36%

Capuano 21%

Khazei 14%

Pagliuca 14%

Other 5%

Not sure 10%

OK, for starters, what "other"? But moving on....

For those who read my most recent column and are wondering if Coakley is Niki Tsongas redux -- never gaining a new voter from announcement to primary day -- well it sure looks like it, huh? Consider that when Rasmussen polled in early September, before the field had really taken shape, they had Coakley at the exact same 38% (with Lynch, Capuano, Tierney, and Markey all scattered far behind).

I'm still not wholly convinced that it's the same dynamic as Tsongas -- and if it is, there's still the big question of whether she can be caught, even standing still.

Rasmussen has Capuano now pulling ahead to a clear second place, just as the recent Globe poll had it. And, Pagliuca stalled out, just as in the Globe poll. This is also consistent with what I'm hearing about internals. Doesn't mean Pags can't make a move, but I have to admit I'm not feeling it.

But the big news in the Rasmussen poll clearly is Khazei, who emerges from single digits to catch the zillion-dollar man. That's forward movement; that's what we punditry scribes like to see.

Khazei has, according to this poll, gotten into the game even though 22% don't know enough about him to rate him fav/unfav. That's more room to grow than the other candidates. And, thanks to his pal Mayor BigApple, I understand he's got some money to play with.

I'll be interested to see how the Afghanistan issue plays out over the next week. Khazei's already put his chips emphatically on no additional troops -- which could win him the hearts of the liberals if Coakley and Capuano equivocate at all in deference to the Commander in Chief. Or, maybe it'll backfire on Khazei, who knows.