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New PPP poll for NH's open 2010 Senate race shows Congressman Paul Hodes leading but within the margin of error against the biggest names (although not necessarily the best candidates) the GOP might offer: Charlie Bass and John Sununu. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter -- who, unlike Hodes, has not declared herself a candidate -- leads both by even narrower margins.

The good news for Hodes is a fairly strong favorability rating, 42/34 with 24% no opinion -- the best of the four. That's hardly a knock-out, but it suggests a fairly easy route to 50%-plus-one of the vote, compared, for instance with Shea-Porter's 43/40.