| Between now and Election Day, you will see | | | | 11 electoral votes in Election 2008. |
| both Barack Obama and John McCain campaigning | | | | |
| almost exclusively in these twelve states. If | | | | No Republican has ever won the White House |
| you happen to live in any of these states, | | | | without winning Ohio's 20 electoral votes. In |
| you should be preparing yourself for a media | | | | fact, no candidate has won the Presidency |
| blitz that will surely make you dream of a | | | | without winning Ohio since 1960. Current |
| quiet, remote vacation long before Election | | | | polls show both political candidates in a |
| Day. Over the next several months, political | | | | statistical dead heat in the Buckeye state. |
| pundits will refer to these dozen states as | | | | |
| the battleground for the 2008 Presidential | | | | The states of Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, and New |
| election. | | | | Mexico in total account for 28 electoral |
| | | | votes. Democrat Barack Obama enjoys a modest |
| A combination of recent polling, state voting | | | | lead in recent polls in Colorado and New |
| demographics, and political history is a | | | | Mexico. Both these states voted Republican in |
| powerful formula that can be used to predict | | | | the 2004 Presidential election. John McCain |
| the likely outcome of thirty eight American | | | | maintains a modest lead in Nevada while |
| states. In fact, if both candidates run a | | | | Barack Obama holds a lead in Iowa. If this |
| respectable and credible campaign, today's | | | | recent trend continues, Nevada will vote for |
| polling results in these thirty eight states | | | | the same party as it did in 2004. However, a |
| should not be much different than the actual | | | | Democratic win in Iowa would be a change from |
| results on Election Day. | | | | the result in the Presidential election of |
| | | | four years ago. |
| The truth is that when reviewing the 2008 | | | | |
| electoral map, Republican John McCain can now | | | | Pennsylvania voted for the Democratic |
| count on 174 safe electoral votes, while | | | | candidate in each of the last two |
| Democrat Barack Obama can feel comfortable | | | | Presidential elections. However, the final |
| winning 204. Therefore, it is the voting in | | | | margin of victory was very small. Recent |
| only twelve states, representing 160 | | | | polls indicate another very close election in |
| electoral votes, that will ultimately | | | | 2008 to win the state's 21 electoral votes. |
| determine the outcome in this Presidential | | | | |
| election. An outcome that requires the next | | | | Michigan has cast its 17 Electoral College |
| President of the United States to obtain a | | | | votes for the Democrats in each of the last |
| minimum of 270 electoral votes on Election | | | | four Presidential elections. However the |
| Day. | | | | margin of Democratic victory in 2004 was very |
| | | | slim. Recent polls indicate another very |
| The twelve battleground states that will | | | | close race between Barack Obama and John |
| decide the 2008 Presidential election are; | | | | McCain in 2008. |
| Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Nevada, Colorado, | | | | |
| Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New | | | | As far as the final three 2008 battleground |
| Mexico, North Carolina, and Virginia. Let's | | | | states are concerned, Wisconsin's 10 |
| briefly look at these battleground states in | | | | Electoral votes went Democratic by a very |
| the 2008 Presidential election. | | | | close margin in the last Presidential |
| | | | election. Recent polls show another very |
| Florida has voted Republican with its 27 | | | | close vote is likely in 2008 as well. Both |
| electoral votes in each of the last two | | | | Virginia and North Carolina (total of 28 |
| Presidential elections. Of course, we | | | | electoral votes) were found in the Republican |
| remember how close the voting was in 2000 | | | | column four years ago. John McCain holds very |
| when a few thousand votes determined the | | | | slim leads in both states in public opinion |
| outcome for Republican President, George W. | | | | polls at the current time. |
| Bush. Currently, the state has a popular | | | | |
| Republican Governor in Charlie Crist, who is | | | | The party primaries are now over and the fall |
| also a potential candidate for Vice President | | | | Presidential election campaign is about to |
| on the Republican ticket. Recent public | | | | begin. During the next several months, there |
| opinion polls in Florida shows that | | | | will be televised debates, conventions, Vice |
| Republican John McCain has a double digit | | | | Presidential selections, and the usual give |
| lead over Democrat Barack Obama. | | | | and take of any Presidential campaign. |
| | | | |
| Missouri almost always cast its ballot for | | | | However, the truth is that in order to win on |
| the candidate who wins the White House. In | | | | Election Day, each of the candidates have to |
| fact, with the exception of 1956, no | | | | work to deliver the right political message. |
| candidate since 1904 ever has won a | | | | It will need to be a message designed to win |
| Presidential election without winning the | | | | in America's political battleground, the |
| state of Missouri. Current polls indicate a | | | | twelve swing states of Election 2008. |
| dead heat in the race to capture Missouri's | | | | |