I'm not sure that map could be any more optimistic for Obama if we tried.Yeah, Karl Rove's been in the tank for Obama for quite a while.
Where the two campaigns are campaigningThey're both campaigning in states McCain should have locked up a long time ago.
Baseline voting habits (by state) established during recent Presidential electionsDon't you get a sense that this election is different than recent elections?
Campaign, RNC and 527 money allocated for advertising (and, more importantly, where)Obama raised $150 million last month. He can outspend them all probably 2 to 1. And that doesn't count the DNC and pro-Obama 527s.
Turnout percentages (by party) for the 2004 and 2006 electionsYou mean the 2004 and 2006 elections that went increasingly to Democrats?
How the Democrats are reacting (constantly blaming Obama's pending loss on racism)I'm not sure how this affects the actual vote.
Public and private word from folks plugged into GOP operations as to who is moving staff and resources where.You mean like McCain pulling out of Michigan to focus on states he absolutely has to win to avoid a landslide? Maybe you could be more specific.
Conservative excitement at the Palin selection (new) and anger at the media's blatant promotion of the Democrat (old)Yeah, Obama lost a lot of conservative votes there...
What an absolutely absurd comment. 2004 turnout percentage was 37-37. And during the GOP's supposedly horrendous year in 2006 turnout percentage was +3 Dems. So when viewed against polls showing Democrats outperforming Pubbies by 8-, 10- or even 14-points, it shows an objective observer how laughable those polls (which leads to your pretty little map) really are.
They're both campaigning in states McCain should have locked up a long time ago.
Really? Like NM? Oops. Or PA? Oops. Or NH? Oops. And why is McCain/Palin spending money in Minnesota? Oops? By the way, why was Joe Biden campaigning in Washington state earlier this week? Oops.
As for your little comment about Palin not costing Obama votes, well duh! It's about increasing the conservative turnout. The same turnout people like you were dismissing in 2004, until Kerry was hit by a tsunami on Election Day.
Wow, I think I’m gonna spend a lot more time at PUMA (hillbuzz, etc.) sites after reading your posts. They are a helluv a lot more optimistic than you.