Analysis: 8 states may decide election

[Judi Lynn]

Oct 17, 4:02 AM EDT

Analysis: 8 states may decide election

By RON FOURNIER
AP Political Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Eight states worth just 99 electoral votes are up for grabs in the closely fought presidential race, with the White House going to whoever conquers this shrinking battlefield.

While another dozen states could come into play if either candidate breaks open the race, President Bush and Democratic Sen. John Kerry entered the campaign homestretch assuming that wouldn't happen. Their strategies focused heavily - but not exclusively - on essentially tied races in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and New Mexico.

National polls suggest the race is tight, but a vast majority of the states are overwhelmingly supporting one candidate over the other - leaving a handful to determine who wins the White House.

Taken together, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania account for 68 of the 99 votes from these tossup states. They form a triangle of influence unmatched on the political map.
(snip/...)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/ROAD_TO_270?SITE=TXHOU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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[Kolesar]

1. Three states that the Bush mafia would have tried to steal in 2000

If there are states with margins this small next month, the GOP is going to contest them while they shred ballots and tie the races up in the courts.

Gore won Iowa by fewer than 5,000 votes, Wisconsin by 5,708 and New Mexico - the fourth Democratic tossup state - by just 366. Hard-fought turf for Kerry to protect.

[fujiyama]

2. I'm guessing

it's even fewer. At this point, the truly competetive states seem to be IA, WI, NM (Gore states), and NV, FL, and OH (previous Bush states).

At this point, I believe that Kerry will win NH and PA. Hell, even NM may not be that competetive because of Richardson and I would assume a huge registration effort among the young and hispanics in that state.

[DarbyUSMC]

3. Makes me wonder why I even vote. My state is already

decided according to the red and blue map. It isn't right, in my view, to decide the election based on polls. They have done this on election night, declaring victory first, before everyone had a chance to vote and then, due to objections, doing same thing the minute the polls closed. They may as well just report on the states who are in question right now. I think they should not report on anything but voter turnout and the weather. Leave something for people to find out when it's all over. They have promised no more screw ups (as in Florida in 2000) but I don't believe them at all. I am so sick of polls, negative campaigning, spending almost a year on an election, the lies and deceit and all that goes with it. Debates that are not in any way, shape or form debates, just add fuel to the fire. We are surrounded by actual hate. When Kerry and our present selected president shake hands it makes me want to look away from the screen. Talk about hypocrisy. I resent them showing campaign speeches on nightly news shows. That is actually a campaign ad getting free exposure. The way this is going, people wouldn't care if Donald Duck won, they are so disgusted by the side show.