[varon]

Yes there are "locks". No matter what happens Bush will carry these states.

Wasn't this the same prediction prior to Bush #41 second term?

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Bush ran a very weak campaign against one of the best politicians of the 20th century. Clinton may have been the number one campaigner of American history, he was simply spellbinding to those who didn't pay much attention to politics.

In 2000, Gore was a stiff and Bush had trouble off script, but it was glaring because we had Reagan and then Clinton for 16 of the last 20 years. Now Bush seems to have much more command of his communication skills, and Clinton has devolved into a punchline. That means that whoever the Democrats throw to the front, he will have to stand up, on his own, against "the cowboy", and America loves their cowboys =)