Here’s one we missed from earlier this week: in New York, a ticket of John McCain and Condoleezza Rice runs slightly ahead of any ticket that is a combination of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, according to a WNBC/Marist poll conducted April 3-4. McCain-Rice leads leads Clinton-Obama 49 percent to 46 percent and Obama-Clinton by 49 percent to 44 percent, with the margin of error at 4 points. If McCain ran with Joe Lieberman, the ticket would lag Clinton-Obama by 53 percent to 40 percent and by 49 percent to 45 percent with Obama-Clinton.

WNBC/Marist concludes from its numbers that the drawn-out Democratic race has taken its toll. It says that if the election were held today, McCain would run “surprisingly close” in New York to either Democrat. Clinton polls 48 percent to 46 percent against McCain, while McCain leads Obama 48 percent to 46 percent.