Posted on 08/22/2012 5:08:30 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Lost amid the daily uproar over embattled Senate candidate Todd Akin's refusal to drop his Missouri bid is a growing effort by the GOP to spotlight a tightening presidential race in the Upper Midwest.
The Republican National Committee has pounced on new polling data in Michigan and Wisconsin that show President Obama losing ground to Mitt Romney after the latter announced Paul Ryan as his running mate. And in what may -- or may not -- have been a coincidence, Vice President Joe Biden made a pair of campaign stops in Minnesota on Tuesday and will make several more in Michigan today.
To be sure, there’s a high degree of skepticism in some Republican circles about whether any of these states will truly be in play this fall. But given Romney’s growing fundraising advantage over Obama, the ultimate effect of this shift may simply be to force the president to spend more money defending his shrinking lead there.
Romney will visit Minnesota on Thursday but only to headline a pair of fundraisers. He has not campaigned publicly in the state since he lost the primary there in February. And yet, Biden’s visits on Tuesday did include a couple of rallies intended to bracket Romney coverage in the local press, perhaps as a preventive measure.
An Obama campaign official explained Tuesday that “Democrats have strong support and great volunteers across Minnesota, and the vice president is there today to fire them up for the final months of the campaign. He will also participate in two DCCC fundraisers while he is in town.”
Democratic strategist C.R. Wooters of Purple Strategies added, “Biden is going to Minnesota and Michigan this week because it's the end of August and not the end of October...
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
1984
Yep. Romney is no Reagan, but he’s better than BHO.
I think its with a Catholic Ryan its all in Play
Team Kenya thinks it is in play also. Barry just spent 3 straight days in IA, a state he won by 9% in 2008.
“To be sure, there’s a high degree of skepticism in some Republican circles about whether any of these states will truly be in play this fall.”
Circles that are not named of course.
Funny, I was thinking MN might be coming into play when Obummer showed up last week. Still a stretch in MN though.
Minnesota politics is Chicago corruption politics without the PR rep. They will manufacture as many votes as they need to make sure 0 wins.
Polls are finally reflecting reality, the rust belt is DEAD for Obama, mn and Il are th only safe states for him. Obama will lose wi, ia, il and oh. It won’t even be close. PA an MI are the battleground and best Obama can hoPe for is a squeaker here. Personally I think Romney fights for Pa And Mi. He wins them.
Circles called “Common” and “Sense”. Romney doesn’t come close in those states unless he’s 7+ points ahead nationally. Right now he’s break even.
It’s logical the Upper Midwest is in play, because in a close race, as some states move one way (e.g. Virginia, Colorado, Nevada), other states will move the other (Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc.). This is a trend that’s been going on for quite awhile now.
For example, Gore just barely won Oregon in 2000, by less than 1%. West Virginia was a Dem state before 2000. Virginia was solidly Republican.
In any close election, states moving in one direction will be countered by others moving the other. It has to be that way, or the election wouldn’t be close.
Wisconsin might be the deciding state this time around. If Colorado goes for Obama, then Romney’s easiest path to victory might be to flip IN, NC, FL, OH, IA and WI. This gives him 269, even if he loses Virginia.
I think Indiana, Florida and NC are basically in the bag...easily.
If true that will save a TON of campaign money to target the other states and expand into Wisconsin, Iowa etc.
Correction,that would be 280 (even better)
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