A number of important political developments have occurred since our January 31 issue. First, post-State of the Union polling showed the president's job approval up in the low 50s and gave him a wider, double-digit lead over all of his prospective GOP rivals. And second, Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole nearly lost the Iowa caucus, and did lose in the New Hampshire, Delaware and Arizona primaries, yet his victories in the two Dakotas and polling going into the key March 2 South Carolina and March 5 "Junior Tuesday" primaries suggests that he is finally gaining his footing and the undisputed mantle of frontrunner.

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