The Makings Of An Electoral Landslide

McCAIN CAN'T WIN WITHOUT FLORIDA AND NEVADA

It has been the LFR's position that, despite worries about Sen. Barack Obama's relative inexperience or whether white America will vote for a black man (they did: it was called the Iowa caucus), this election will not be close come November 4.

Many believe the laughable suspension of Sen. John McCain's campaign last week was a byproduct of his team reading the political tea leaves in the form poor internal polling, namely, an upshoot in the belief Obama is better prepared to handle out battered economy.

National polls also revealed Obama gaining back percentage points lost to McCain after the Republican convention, but national poll numbers are nearly meaningless in a campaign likely to be decided by the electoral college.

Stagnation in battleground states like Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania reveal though times ahead for McCain.

Now this: a new poll from Public Policy Polling says Obama has taken a three percentage point lead in Florida. As Thomas Schaller says at Salon.com's War Room blog, McCain cannot hope to win without the Sunshine State.

Of course, polls are just polls, but Public Policy poll accounts Obama's rise in Florida to worries over the economy. Sixty-four percent says the economy is their top concern as opposed to 26 percent who said the same thing in January. Of that group, Obama leads 55 percent to 40.

It gets worse.

A new poll out today shows North Carolina turning towards Obama. This is a state where the Obama campaign foresaw going Republican just over a month ago. Movement in the Tar Heel state seems ominous for McCain.

The trio of Florida, North Carolina and the most likely Southern red state to turn blue--Virginia--you have the makings of a comfortable electoral victory for Obama.

Dan Hoyle has an interesting story on Salon.com today that shows the mood on the ground in Nevada. If anything, the article contains some very clever and funny quotes from Hispanic voters living in Reno.

If trouble lurks in the South, then Nevada may be the harbinger of a new West emerging with Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona becoming more Democratic by way of Latinos eager to back the left's immigration policies.