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U.S. Fiscal Crisis Seems to Have Altered Political Map
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Beyond Pennsylvania, McCain's blue-state targets include Wisconsin -- one of the closest states in 2000 and 2004 -- and New Hampshire.
Kerry won New Hampshire in 2004. In the midterm elections two years later, voters wiped out the state's all-Republican congressional delegation to elect two Democrats to the U.S. House. But it is also an iconoclastic swing state with a deep current of affection for McCain -- and the place where Obama suffered his first primary defeat to Clinton.
"It's tighter than it should be in New Hampshire," said Doug Hattaway, a Boston-based Democratic consultant who worked for Clinton in the primaries and is advising Jeanne Shaheen in her efforts to unseat Sen. John E. Sununu (R) there.
He said that, given Democratic growth over the past few years, Obama could expect to be in stronger shape, but added, "New Hampshire is sort of tailor-made for McCain, with its independent streak, and he is well-known and well-liked there."
Another wild card for both candidates is the northern half of Maine, which splits its electoral college votes in half by congressional district. McCain is making a play for the 1st District, where the conservative, rural sensibility seems to be a natural fit for Palin.
In acknowledging the decision to abandon Michigan, McCain advisers sought to portray it as a sensible move that would allow greater concentration on Maine, Missouri, Indiana and Pennsylvania, among others. Yet it was a stunning admission; campaigns often pretend to compete in states they have all but lost to try to confuse their opponents and hold onto an outside chance of winning toward the end.
On Friday, Palin said she had read the news that her ticket had pulled out of Michigan and strongly disagreed. "I read that this morning and fired off a quick e-mail and said, 'Oh, come on, do we have to?' " Palin told Fox News, adding that she and her husband, Todd, would be able to appeal to workers in the distressed auto industry. "We can relate to them and connect to them. . . . I want to get to Michigan, and I want to try."
