The good folks at D-Corps have released their latest survey, along with an accompanying analysis memo, "Report on the Stable Framework Favoring John Kerry’s Election". One of the features of the new survey is that they provide not one, not two, not three, but four different horse race results for your edification (all among likely voters).

Kerry-Edwards vs. Bush-Cheney (split sample): 52-45
Kerry vs. Bush (split sample): 50-47
Kerry vs. Bush (combining split samples): 51-46
Kerry vs. Bush vs. Nader: 48-45-4

So pick whichever one suits your methodological fancy, secure in the knowledge that Kerry's ahead in all of 'em.

The D-Corps survey also shows the Democrats up by 7 points (49-42), in the generic congressional contest, another good sign.

The poll, in fact, is full of good signs "favoring John Kerry's election", as they put it in the title of their analysis memo.

For example, the poll has right direction/wrong track at 41/54 and has DCorps' related question "do you think the country should continue in the direction Bush is headed or go in a significantly different direction?" at 43 Bush's direction/54 significantly different direction.

Moreover, when this question is applied to 9 different specific issue areas, voters only want to continue in Bush's direction on one area, the war on terrorism (54/43), but even here Bush's net of +11 is sharply down from a net of +33 in January. In all other areas, Bush is net negative on which direction the country should go in: prescription drug coverage for seniors (-27); jobs in America (-12); middle class living standards (-11); education (-11); foreign policy (-10); Iraq (-10); the economy (-8); and taxes (-6).

The poll also asked about whether voters preferred Kerry or Bush on handling a wide variety of issues. Bush has a lead on the war on terrorism (11 points) and on Iraq (4 points) and is tied on foreign policy. On all other issues, ranging from the economy, education and taxes to jobs, middle class living standards an energy policy, Kerry is ahead by from 3-11 points.

Consistent with other recent polls, the survey finds negative sentiment about Iraq continuing to worsen. By 15 points (56-41), voters now say the war in Iraq was not worth the cost of US lives and dollars. And, by a 52-45 margin, voters now believe that the Iraq war has made us less, not more, secure.

On the economy, it's worth quoting the DCorps analysis memo at length:

In the great majority of areas, people are worried more, not less – particularly about health care costs, which jumped 8 points this month alone (to 54 percent very worried). While worry about gas prices has fallen off a little, the dominant pattern is growing worries about health care costs and employers cutting back benefits, particularly for health care.

Not surprisingly, Democrats continue to win the essential economic debate between a middle class squeezed and the evidence of economic progress. By 59 to 38 percent, voters believe that the middle class faces stagnant incomes, scarce jobs, cuts in benefits as health care costs are rising; not as the economists say, that the economy is showing signs of success, with increased employment, high home ownership, stock values and the like. That outcome of that debate remains largely unchanged, with the slightest of narrowing. Giving stability to this structure are the 51 percent who “strongly” reject the economic progress argument, down only 2 points from June and 5 points from May. Still, a majority of the electorate, on the eve of the Democratic convention, strongly reject Bush’s core case for progress.

I realize D-Corps' analysis can seem a bit over-optimistic at times, making even DR seem like kind of a grumpy Gus. But, on the other hand, as these and other data accumulate, it does seem like a measure of real optimism may be in order.