Now that John McCain has abandoned efforts to win in Michigan, his campaign believes he must win Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Minnesota to garner enough electoral votes to triumph over Barack Obama.
George Bush lost all three states in 2000 and 2004.
“Our ability to pick off one of those three states is where our fortunes are largely held,” a McCain campaign official told Politico. “These are states where Barack Obama is on the defense.”
McCain believes that winning one of those states, plus those he considers solidly in his camp, would put him 10 electoral votes short of the 270 votes he needs to win.
“We can dig up an additional 10 electoral votes in Nevada, Colorado and New Hampshire,” the official said.
“We feel strongly that we’re going to win in Florida, Missouri and the traditional Republican states of Virginia and North Carolina.”
The McCain campaign has also begun to focus on Maine, according to Politico, and is moving some staffers there from Michigan.
Political analyst Dick Morris’ latest electoral map has Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota strongly for Obama, and Florida as well, with Missouri and Virginia “leaning Obama.”
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