Let's assume a worst case scenario

[Bucky]

This is Karl Rove's map.



Let's assume that Obama loses Florida, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, and Nevada.

Obama still wins 273 - 265. That's as bad as it can get. Shit, near as I can figure, that's McCain's strategy. My new theory is that McCain is positioning himself for a rematch in 2012. Or maybe he's planning on Obama fatigue when he goes toe-to-toe against Clinton in 2016.

I leave it to your imagination which Clinton I'm talking about.

[Tripper11]

1. Dude....rematch?? Highly unlikely

Not that I would want anyone to die, but I honestly don't beleive McCain has 4 years in him, at least not solid enough to go again in 2012.
If anything they are positioning the Pitbull with Lipstick...they will send her to education camp deep in the heart of some rightwing dungeon and have her emerge even more nuttier then before!

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Yup. They're doing a Pygmalion on Palin.

OK, PIG-malion.

[soleft]

2. McCain's too old to run in 2008 - in 2012 he'll be 76

[Bucky]

10. Um, you do know how much blood-of-virgin he can drink in 4 years, don't ya?

Anyway, I think his real game plan is going for 2016.

[niceypoo]

3. McCain is too old now

I doubt he will run in 2012, if he is still alive.

[tigereye]

8. my 77 year old mom says McCain is too old

I think this is his only chance.

[JackintheGreen]

5. McThuselah won't run again

He can't. If age is an issue now (even a little one), imagine in four - or eight! - more years. I doubt he's running for the benefit of future candidates, holding the table for '12 or '16, as you suggest he's doing for himself. He has too much pride for that (I can't believe I just said that). But his campaign is definitely taking on the cast of Sen Clinton's in it's dying weeks.

Oh god...here it comes...

[regnaD kciN]

6. So, you're trusting Rove to tell you the truth...?

:crazy:

Here's a note: that map is based on the way polling stands right now. In other words, if the election were held today. New polling numbers (either state-by-state, or national tracking that often presages a similar shift in state polls) could change the whole map tomorrow. If the race tightens significantly (say, back to a 1-2 point lead), many of those "toss-up" states would move back to the McCain column, and some Obama states (like Colorado, New Hampshire, and even Pennsylvania) would move to toss-up, ready to be plucked by the McCain campaign.

I guess I'm seeing two contradictory themes to many messages this morning, both of which are equally annoying. On the one side, we've got the "OMG! THE RACE JUST TIGHTENED BY A POINT OR TWO! WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOMED!" crowd; on the other, the "I'm looking at the map, and we have way more than 270 votes already -- it's in the bag." Folks, this election still has nearly four weeks to go, and there are going to be some twists and turns on that road. This is not the time to either give up or lay back and relax. Because, you know the dirty little secret? Half the electorate isn't going to show up at the polls anyway! Unless there's more than a 10% margin between the candidates in an given state, the GOTV effort will really be what decides that state. Period. Win at that, and we win at anything. Lose at that, and we'll lose no matter how far ahead we are.

[tigereye]

9. good points

there's a lot of time to go before the election.

[Phredicles]

7. "Clinton in 2016 - leave it to your imagination which Clinton..."

How old will Chelsea be in 2016?