McCain grasps for critical red states with 8 days to go

The one blue state McCain hopes to grab will see a lot of attention from both campaigns. McCain is in Pottsville today while Obama visits Pittsburgh.

The poll of polls? Obama is up 51 to 41 percent. However, the McCain camp says internal polls show the race much closer.

How will McCain grab Pennsylvania? Although the odds are against the steal, he's pinning hopes on playing to the electorate's distaste for one-party rule which would be likely occur with an Obama win.

"My opponent is out there working out the details with Speaker Pelosi and (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid, their plans to raise your taxes, increase spending and concede defeat in Iraq," said McCain. "We're not going to let that happen."

North Carolina

Biden yo-yos from Florida to North Carolina then back to Florida.  In North Carolina he will visit Greenville and Greensboro.

Last week, the Delaware Senator spent some time in Winston-Salem and used a North Carolina-friendly analogy to discuss the race.

“I know NASCAR is big in North Carolina. And ... to use NASCAR parlance for those of you who are NASCAR fans, we've been trading a little paint with the McCain, with the McCain-Palin ticket lately. And and quite frankly, John's been driving a little loose lately," he said.

The state is considered a toss-up currently which is saying a lot for Obama. Four years ago, President Bush won the state by 12 percentage points.

Virginia

Virginia hasn't voted for the Democratic nominee since 1964. The Old Dominion state leans Obama. A new Washington Post poll shows Obama up by eight points.

Noting that the Obama campaign has a huge organization in Virginia (almost 50 offices and 250 paid staffers), the Post reports the outreach appears to be fruitful.

The poll indicates that Obama's staff and volunteers have made staggering gains in reaching out to Virginia's 5 million registered voters. More than half of all voters surveyed said they have been contacted in person, on the phone or by e-mail or text message about voting for Obama, far more than said so about McCain.

Sarah Palin is all over the state today with visits in Leesburg, Fredericksburg, and Salem.

Indiana

Could Indiana actually go Obama? The McCain camp has a lead in the Hoosier state but it is a state that Obama has targeted.

Palin visited the state on Saturday and is making a return trip on Wednesday with Hank Williams, Jr. (a musician who has not sued their campaign) in Jeffersonville.

Missouri

Six weeks ago it was solidly McCain. Now it is a toss-up, with RealClearPolitics showing Obama with a one-point lead.

Game's not over

John McCain is right. Many pundits and pollsters have written him off.  And Obama's sky-high stack of orange $500 bills doesn't help the McCain campaign.  But, to use a way overused cliche', the only poll that matters is the one done a week from tomorrow.

And the Republican nominee shows no signs of giving up.

"We are doing fine. You're going to be up very late on election night," McCain told NBC's Meet the Press. "This is going to be a very close race and I believe I'm going to win it."

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