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