ohn Zogby is the president of Zogby International. Their latest poll shows the First Lady leading Lazio 45.8 percent to 43.8 percent, with 10.4 percent undecided.

Lopez: What accounts for Lazio moving ahead so quickly?

Zogby: He had one of those weeks that a candidate can only dream about. Basically, he traveled throughout the state, got a lot of great publicity, picked up virtually all of the anti-Hillary core vote, and built up his favorable ratings — they jumped 25 points.

Lopez: Is that his own doing? Is he saying all the right things?

Zogby: Yes. He hasn’t hurt himself and hasn’t been hurt. I was quoted last Friday as saying that in a week this would be a dead heat, that people needed to see flesh and bones on the other guy. Today I had a piece in Newsday and there was a big quote — “If he can survive this first week I suspect he will win the support of those undecided and this race will be close to a tie.” That’s exactly what happened.

Lopez: Do you see that changing?

Zogby: No, I don’t. I think this is a dead heat. She now has a real problem. She is running against herself and she has to knock this guy off the pedestal. She has a ceiling of acceptability and we haven’t even begun to hear all the stuff the tabloids are going to throw at her.

Lopez: Among conservatives, are there issues with Lazio that will come up later in the campaign — or are they gone since the Conservative party has endorsed him?

Zogby: Conservatives and Republicans are a one-issue party this year: Beat Hillary. That’s it.

Lopez: So none of the policy issues are going to matter as we move toward November?

Zogby: No. No. He is about where he should be for a New York Republican — a Rockefeller Republican acceptable to the Conservative party. He voted with the president a majority of times in three of his years. He has mid-level ratings from both the American Conservative Union and the environmental groups. He’s acceptable to even some liberals and moderates who just don’t like Hillary.

Lopez: Is that a winning combination?

Zogby: Yes. So far. He’s Italian, that helps. He’s almost the anti-Hillary candidate from central casting. Get me a nice Italian boy scout — clean, nice family, no scandal. Oh, Rick, come here.

Lopez: Is there anything that can happen?

Zogby: Sure, a scandal. Almost anything can happen all the time. I don’t suspect that anything will.