Novak claimed Zogby predicted a Bush win; Zogby publicly says otherwise

In his October 28 nationally syndicated column, Robert D. Novak claimed that pollster John Zogby -- who predicted in May that Senator John Kerry would defeat President George W. Bush in the presidential election -- told him that “he [Zogby] changed his mind. He now thinks the president is more likely to be re-elected because he [Bush] has reinforced support from his base.” Whether or not this is what Zogby told Novak, Zogby has publicly been suggesting the opposite.

On the October 25 broadcast of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show, Zogby noted his prediction of a Kerry victory and supported it with current evidence:

ZOGBY: Truthfully, you know that I'm on record suggesting that Kerry would win, and that's based on history. You know that the president's numbers are not good for an incumbent. And that there usually is a ceiling, and I think we're seeing the ceiling. But it's frozen right now nationally and --

HANNITY: Doesn't Kerry have the same ceiling in reverse? I mean wasn't -- hasn't that been one of the problems, Kerry cannot break beyond a point ever?

ZOGBY: That's very true, Sean. It's very, very true. It's -- it's all really in the hands of these undecideds [undecided voters]. Everybody else is frozen. And four, five percent undecided -- typically, they go two to one against the incumbent.

And as a guest on the October 27 edition of CNBC's Capital Report, Zogby told host (and U.S. News & World Report columnist) Gloria Borger that he was sticking by his prediction:

BORGER: Back in May, pollster John Zogby made a bold early prediction that the battle for the White House would go to John Kerry. With his own daily tracking poll showing the race neck and neck but with Bush in the lead, is he still sticking by his call? John Zogby joins me now from Utica, New York. Thanks so much for being with me. Are you still sticking by your call?

ZOGBY: I think so, yeah. I think I will.