Veteran GOP political strategist Karl Rove says Mitt Romney is facing very tough electoral math in his presidential bid -- so dire that President Obama would likely win re-election if voters were going to the polls this week.
The math is simple and indisputable, says Rove, though he warns that the situtation is highly fluid.
The next president needs 270 Electoral College votes to win.
There are currently 18 states (220 electoral votes) where Obama has a solid lead and 15 states (93 votes) that are solidly in Romney's column.
There are six states -- crucial battleground states -- with a combined 82 electoral vtes that are “toss--ups” (IA, FL, MO, NC, SC, VA).
Five more states -- MI, NH, NV, OH, PA -- with a combined 64 EC votes are "leaning" toward Obama.
Six other states -- AZ, GA, KY, SD, TN, TX -- with a combined 79 EC votes “lean” Romney.
Simply put, that means there are 17 states for a total of 225 Electoral College votes up for grabs.
So if the election were held today, 284 electoral votes are safely Obama's, according to Rove. Romney has 157 safe or leaning votes.
"These projections will change as more polls are conducted in the coming weeks," Rove warns. The situation is extremely fluid.
Rove was considered one of the best prognosticators during the 2008 election when he called 48 states correctly, only getting Indiana and North Carolina wrong.
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