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To: AmishDude
I do not believe Missouri is a toss up for reasons indicated above...
109 posted on 02/10/2004 5:19:22 PM PST by donozark
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To: donozark
I think you're right about MO. My idea of "tossup" is broad. The fact is, if Kerry wins any of my Safe Bush states (without having a VP from that state or Richardson who might deliver AZ), then Bush has lost because he'll most likely lose almost all of the tossup states in between.

Looking more closely at my tossup states, PA is "Lean Dem" but they have an unpopular Dem governor (the odious Rendell) and Kerry will have to work a little to keep it in the fold. MO, NV and OH are "Lean Rep" and Bush will have to campaign in those states. But, I think if Bush wins PA he wins the election and if Kerry wins OH, then he probably wins NV and MO too -- along with the election.

I still say MN, OR, IA, NM, FL, NH are true tossups. FL and NH are near the Bush camp. NM probably leans Bush without Richardson on the ticket. IA has a Dem governor who just announced he wants a big tax increase. MN is leaning Republican. OR leans more and more Democrat over the years.

The truth is, the state-by-state analysis isn't interesting for the Bush camp. He has a structural advantage this year because of EV changes in the states. Basically, if it's a close case like 2000, Bush will win the EV.

Kerry is the one who has to play the EV game. He cannot win without a majority of my tossup states. So who does he choose as VP? There are only two choices -- Richardson and Bob Graham. Bob Graham is the only Dem politican popular enough to deliver Florida. Even then, it's a tossup. Bill Nelson cannot. Richardson might be able to have enough of an effect on Hispanics to deliver NM (that would be a lock), AZ (very likely) and FL (who knows?). But as a Clintonite and someone at the very center of the Monica controversy, he's not an ideal option if you don't want to bring up old wounds. I think that Richardson is the only one who could bring more than one state to the Democrats. Edwards probably won't deliver NC. He's not a regional candidate, so he won't deliver any southern state. (Well, maybe VA on a good day.)

If I were Kerry, I'd pick Richardson.

If I were Clinton, I'd make Richardson decline.

128 posted on 02/11/2004 9:35:17 AM PST by AmishDude
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