Is the midwest crucial for victory?

[MaC]

This isn't too far from what happened last two elections.  I mean why bother campaigning anywhere other than the midwest?  Republicans have a lock on the south and west (middle America) and Democrats have a lock on the Pacific and Northern Atlantic coasts.  The only real toss-up is this Area.  I dunno why Kerry went to Arizona or Alabama to stump for votes.  Really don't understand Dick Cheney flying all the way to Hawaii to stump for their votes.  This is really the only useful area to try for.

[MaC]

ah, yea forgot to mention, it's deadlocked at 269-269

[MaC]

This is how I see the 2008 battlemap right now assuming a close election in the popular vote:

Dark blue and dark red states would take a blow out of 1932 or 1984 proportions for the other party to win.
Light blue and light red wouldn’t be a total surprise for the other party to win, but they would have already have won the election because of other States if they get them unless the favored party fails to do anything to hold them.
The gray states are the battleground.

yeah, that seems about right.

BRTD, and others, my map of the midwest, (Minnesota being GOP) relects for a deadlock of 269-269, however it's not necessarily meant to be all that accurate.  It could turn out like that, not impossible, but it's more or less for proving my point.  It's all a matter of prioritising what's able to be taken.