Remember PUMA ("Party Unity My Ass"), the diehard group that stood by Hillary Clinton even after Barack Obama clinched the nomination in June, and was pressing to get a roll call vote for her at the Democratic convention? The group helped give the name to the "Puma effect," which many political players and analysts said might hurt Obama as former Clinton supporters deserted him for McCain or decided not to vote. And there was some support for that thesis in polls during the summer months.

Well, it seems to have been short-lived, according to an analysis of surveys in seven battleground states that Public Policy Polling has been doing through the campaign.