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While Google attempts to call itself a "natural linking" ranking engine, in reality they have screwed with the concept so much that it is no longer true.
It is in fact very easy to reproduce "natural" links if you have a big enough collection of domains and subject matter all by yourself. So Google attempts to punish or filter out different situations.
Now Google only really reflects natural linking patterns for it's highest ranked sites (like CNN, Microsoft, and a few others). As soon as you get down to PR7 or 8, things start to get fudged. Basically, Google has their thumb on the scale (and that is why adult sites, although some of the most visited sites on the net, don't get good PR rankings!).
Right now, some of my best ranked sites have fairly un-natural but not forced linking patterns in them. As MikeC said, it is easier to get one PR5 or 6 site to link to you than it is to try to get thousands of PR1 or 2 sites to link up.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: PR does not translate into good SERP listings... you can take your PR and $5 and get a McBurger... SERPs pay the bills!
Alex
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