It’s the Electoral Map, Stupid!

20 August 2008 |permalink | email article

NATIONAL polls show a tight race. But the media obsession about who’s ahead in the national polls is irrelevant, along with its 2004 fixation on red and blue states.

The name of the game now is 270 electoral votes on 11/4 – pure and simple.

According to NBC political editor Chuck Todd, Obama has 217 votes, and is pulling away in New Jersey and Oregon. By contrast, McCain does not appear to be pulling away in any state.

RealClearPolitics electoral count scores it this way:

For Obama: 228, with 183 solid, 45 leaning; For McCain: 163, with 139 solid, 24 leaning.

On Friday, Pollster.com had Obama with 284 electoral votes, McCain at 169 – meaning that McCain could win all 85 electoral votes in toss-up states and still not be elected.

Notable Quotes

** “Instead of giving big speeches at big stadiums, he needs to give straight-up ten word answers to people at Wal-Mart about how he would improve their lives.” – Gov. Phil Bredesen, Democrat of Tennessee, on Obama’s need to address the financial concerns of undecided Democrats and independents.

** “This ain’t going to be no civil campaign. I mean, come on – a lot’s at stake.” – Lindsey Graham, a McCain corner man.

** ”Oh, yes, and Cheney” – McCain replying to a question from Larry King of CNN a few weeks after 9/11 about whether he would have named Rumsfeld and Colin Powell to a McCain cabinet. 

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