Actually one shopping mall terrorist attack between now and the election and every state save Illinois and Hawaii will be in play for McCain, but that aside, 1) this is an oportunity to for McCain to "keep Obama honest" and make him spend some resources here and 2) ok, Kerry won by 7 points -- GWB's turn-off power to blue staters is only worth 7 points?  Maybe.  The bigger mystery is whether Obama is more attractive to Dems/Indies as Kerry-- he absolutely is to TNR types, but to the average Dem, I dunno (and African-American turnout was all but maxed out for Kerry in 2004 despite lousy outreach).  

not a chance, NJ is now as blue as they come.

anybody know of any photoshopped pictures of Lieberman in a dog collar and chains being led around by McCain?

The McCain camp was worried about Obama picking off votes from their man in New Hampshire. It turns out that they needn't have lost any sleep over that possibilty. I can't see New Jersey really being in play in November. This is a highly urbanized blue state and it should be Obama's in a walk. What I think will be fascinating is to see if McCain will retain his historic attraction to independents. The media still maddingly cling to the narrative of McCain as reformer. Once a politician is denominated as such and such, it is difficult to peel the label off (short of a major scandal)  no matter how far past the use date it is. McCain has thrown in his lot with the tax - cutting right, which should make Grover Norquist happy (though he probably is still nervous because Mac has habit of poking his erstwhile allies in the eyes). Can we get some decent reporting on McCain's flip - flops from the prestige press?

Mike,

Thank you. Every election the GOP seems to want to wish NJ red, the media picks it up, and on election day, it is blue.

This state will go for Obama, with or without Clinton on the ticket.

Sounds like McCain is starting to put in face time with states he thinks he can flip in the fall. I am sure we'll have a better idea how NJ will roll once the GOP attack machine has kicked on.

I agree that McCain's position swapping is a weak-point, but I think his real weakness will be apparent when they start to debate the issues.

Four words to make sure New Jersey (and Pennsylvania, and possibly Ohio and West Virginia) go Democratic this fall:  Obama/Rendell.  But McCain should feel free to waste his wife's money campaigning in New Jersey for as long as possible until that announcement.

Sorry, that's two words, plus a backslash.  Gotta edit more quickly.

wildboy, hah, should have left it go as it was as it gave me a good laugh (I thought that was a joke and not a mistake)

In a word: No way Rendell. He has foot in mouth disease.

Rendell would not be a good idea with that Farrakhan love-fest video of Rendell floating around in cyberspace

Hey, Crowley!

"Fuhgeddaboudit" is New York, not New Jersey.  (Most prominently displayed on the "You are Now Leaving Brooklyn" signs on the Belt Parkway.)

At least I know the difference between the Belt and the Beltway.