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Over the last 24 hours two more polls were released, one by Democrat pollsters Public Policy Polling and the other by SurveyUSA for Roanoke television station WDBJ. Neither typically are considered top tier polls — not necessarily in the same league as Mason-Dixon and Rasmussen. But they have shown interesting, sometimes contradictory, results this campaign season. But now both show Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell with commanding double digit leads (14 and 19 points, respectively). Each also has the other two Republican candidates, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and attorney general nominee Senator Ken Cuccinelli (Fairfax), up by healthy double digit margins. Does the fact that these two newer polls to Virginia politics both show the same trend (though different margins) verify a trend?

One who pretty much said so today was U.Va. political soothsayer Larry Sabato. On WRVA radio’s Richmond’s Morning News With Jimmy Barrett, he wouldn’t go that far — yet. But he crept up to to the line, which, for Dr. Sabato, is saying a great deal. He said he would release his Crystal Ball’s predictions next week.

Listen to Larry Sabato’s interview (6:55) with Jimmy Barrett by clicking here.

Here is the analysis (including methodology) and internal numbers from the two polls, including from the polling organizations themselves:

Public Policy Polling 

McDonnell starting to pull away (PublicPolicyPolling.com)

Another Poll Suggests McDonnell Pulling Away From Deeds (CQPolitics Blog)

McDonnell up 12 pts. in new poll (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Both

McDonnell Opens Double-Digit Lead Over Deeds in Virginia (Politics Daily Poll Watch Blog)

SurveyUSA

Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #15927 (SurveyUSA.com)

SurveyUSA Shows McDonnell Clinging to a 59–40 Lead (National Review Online’s The Campaign Spot Blog)

News7 Poll: Republicans hold comfortable leads in statewide contests (WDBJ7.com)

From Concord, North Carolina, we have this: A kiosk vendor, who trades as Free Market Warrior and sells conservative swag at one of that state’s most popular malls, is getting kicked out for practicing his freedom of expression rights by displaying three bumper stickers and a t-shirt with anti-Barack Obama messages.

Mary Curtis, who has the story at Politics Daily, calls it the Battle of Concord — Mall. It’s led to protesters at, and boycotts of, the mall. Meanwhile, the vendor, Loren Spivak, is selling his t-shirts and stickers, including those with pro-life messages, faster than a hungry Tar Heel can scarf down a BBQ sandwich. But the kibosh of the First Amendment doesn’t stop there. From Curtis, herself:

Mall offices were closed on Sunday, according to the security guard who eventually shooed me away for reporting without permission. …

A letter to the editor published in the Charlotte Observer started the controversy. It read, in part:

While freedom of speech is a Constitutional right it’s difficult not to believe that something just isn’t quite right here.

It’s not surprising. In fact, it’s the leftist-liberal canon — very much like “health care reform” — you do whatever you want except for what we say you can do.