McCain giving up on Michigan By LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major concession, Republican John McCain has abandoned efforts to win Michigan, a Democratic-leaning battleground state the GOP presidential candidate had hoped to capture.
Republican officials with knowledge of the strategy said the GOP nominee is removing staff, curtailing advertising and canceling visits to the Midwestern state, which offers 17 electoral votes. Resources will be sent to Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida and other competitive states.Earlier, Obama abandoned efforts in Alaska, Georgia and North Dakota after boasting about running a 50-state campaign, though he succeeded in making traditional Republican strongholds Indiana [bold mine], North Carolina [Sheria and friends!] and Virginia competitive. Both sides are battling it out in those states where public polls show Obama ahead or tied.
A McCain aide said the campaign is opening up a front in Maine, which Kerry won four years ago and which offers four electoral votes. His campaign checked advertising rates in media markets there this week.
I was really surprised to hear this today. We're about 5 miles from the Indiana-Michigan state line, so much of their news is our news (Ken even works in Michigan). We've been hearing that this was one of the states that McCain was hoping to grab, but it seems he's folding up his tent and movin' on down the road. Michigan is in dire straits economically, and I think that is the main issue, as it is throughout the country. Also, last I heard, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Florida are starting to break--some of them big--for Obama. There is about a month to go, but I'm just sayin'.
I'm also surprised to read that McCain is going to try to go for Maine. Obama currently has a 49-44% lead there, and Maine has voted Democratic in the past four presidential elections. Besides, Stephen King tells us that they're a Dem bunch, and everything I know about Maine, I know from Stephen King! He says the place is lousy with vampires (nasty, ugly ones, too, not the good looking ones like in Anne Rice's books), there are alien spaceships buried in the woods, and you need to be really careful about where you bury your dead cat. Oh, and watch out for Saint Bernards. All kidding aside, it seems to be an odd state to focus on, with only four electoral votes and a tendency to vote Democratic.
I totally cracked up tonight. First, a little set-up. We usually watch NBC News, but have been watching CBS News to see Katie Couric's interviews with Palin, McCain, and Biden. Last night, they showed a preview of tonight's segment. Katie asked the question of both VP candidates: "What was the best thing and the worst thing that Dick Cheney has done?" Ken immediately said, "Worst thing? Shot someone in the face!" I laughed and said, "Good one!"
Well...tonight we saw the actual interview. When Couric asked that question of Palin, the response was, "Well...I suppose the duck hunting accident was not great!" (or words to that effect). AGH! I busted out laughing and pointed at Ken and said, "That's what YOU said!" Ken said, "Yeah...but I was joking!"
Criminy.
