Sunday I noted that the Nielson Brothers poll showing Matt Varilek just one point behind Rep. Kristi Noem does not defy plausibility. Noem's spin machine has tried to refudiate the poll by noting that NBP's numbers on the Presidential race don't square with other numbers from more venerable pollsters.

But consider these numbers: Nielson Brothers find Mitt Romney holding a 49%-to-43% edge over President Obama in South Dakota. Compare that with the edge Karl Rove figures for South Dakota:

Romney vs Obama -- map by Karl Rove & Co. 2012.07.30

(click to embiggen!)

Hm. Romney over Obama by 6.

Rove says he's just guessing. Nielson Brothers Polling talked to real South Dakotans. If you're an intellectually honest South Dakota Republican (wow: I just combined an oxymoron and a tautology!), you grant Nielson Brothers at least as much credibility on this poll as you grant to Karl Rove.

Varilek down by one: keep making Noem nervous, Matt!