That is a modest difference, to be sure, but it is getting late enough in the campaign — and the election is so close — that these modest differences can potentially matter when averaged across a number of surveys.
But when pollsters switch over to likely voter models, which account for their estimate of how likely each respondent in the survey is to vote, as the election draws closer, they may be expected to show slightly more favorable results for Mr. Romney, enough to potentially matter in a close election.
Unfortunately, constraining or preventing currency manipulation through the I.M.F. and other multilateral forums has not been successful, and this potentially matters a great deal for the United States economy (see, for example, a recent report by C. Fred Bergsten and Joseph Gagnon of the Peterson Institute, or a May lecture by Mr. Bergsten).
Pfeffer's argument is that there's a crucial skill set that separates alphas like Steve Jobs and Google cofounder Larry Page from the omegas and that potentially matters more than I.Q., charisma, and even hard work.
Given the potential for both harm to self and others, an agenda which has been powerful in the development of the 'public safety' agenda in mental health policy, mental health problems clearly are, if not commonly, potentially matters of life and death.
Nationality laws have yet to be negotiated, a potentially prickly matter in such a vast and diverse country.
But if things go badly for Mr. Bacanovic, he could seek a deal with prosecutors -- which would be a potentially devastating matter for Ms. Stewart.
I disagree with Hemingway; I think that rhetoric is itself potentially a matter of great moral import, and Nance's splendidly literary voice-over is a terrific example.
The FBI has already investigated some of Halliburton's Iraqi activities, but it is now treating the defence department's dealings with the vice-president's old company as a potentially criminal matter.
Indeed, on one potentially pivotal matter -- filling a Supreme Court vacancy, should one occur -- conservative leaders say the president enjoys a level of trust that would allow him to nominate a candidate without unambiguously conservative credentials, avoiding an ideological battle that could harm his re-election efforts.
But she did manage to steer clear of one potentially explosive matter, a possible primary between two major New York Democrats who are considering a run against Mr. Pataki in 2002: Mr. McCall, the only black elected to statewide office, and Andrew M. Cuomo, the son of the former governor and President Clinton's housing secretary.
