Joining us now, Steve Hess, of the Brookings Institution, who has been analyzing the data.

Steve Hess, are we in the press captive to these polls?

STEPHEN HESS, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: It seems to be. The tracking polls and the volatility have made it such an interesting story that you can hardly resist it. You know you always have horse stories when you get into October. But usually in September, you have stories about the qualities of the candidates, their issues and so forth. I have never seen a profile of coverage as of this election. Right from Labor Day, you are up there at two-thirds horse race, and it hasn't let off.

So it's a different profile. I think there are various reasons, but one reason surely is your infatuation with the polls.

WOODRUFF: Is it such a bad thing, I mean the polls, you know, there is some discrepancy, but generally people think they're fairly close to being accurate.

HESS: I am not criticizing even the accuracy of the polls. I am simply saying of all the ways for you to frame a story, and the three close elections in our lifetime, were never framed purely as close elections, horse races, but it's really the least interesting way to frame it. It doesn't help anybody very much. On November 7th, we will know who won or lost. And so, you really -- you, I don't mean you personally, but the media -- has lost an opportunity to help people know how their votes might make a difference. In the meantime, it's fun. I am not criticizing it. It's the balance I am talking about.

WOODRUFF: What are viewers missing out on?

HESS: Well, I think, actually, these are two candidates who are very different, who have very different personalities and profiles and issues, and a high degree of specificity. When you compare what they're saying to what past candidates are saying, it is not quite ready to put their proposals in the hopper, they don't look like legislation, but they look about as close to that as I must say I have ever seen, particularly of course the Gore proposals.

WOODRUFF: Can you imagine the press turning the clock back on this?

HESS: I don't know. That's a hard thing to say. I think the answer is partly yes. That if there was a big war, you know, how it would be framed. If there was a recession, if there was a charismatic figure, if there was a scandal, if there was some overriding issue, yes, this wouldn't have been an election that is just explained in the terms of its closeness.