First Read has a quick take on the state of play in the Western states, based on some polling released today. The Denver Post, has a longer analysis of these battlground state polls, but here's what Chuck Todd and his crew are saying:
With its competitive battlegrounds and with the Democrats’ convention taking place here in the region, much has been made of the West and Mountain West in this presidential election. In fact, a few states out here -- Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, even Montana -- could end up deciding the race. And now with virtually every political reporter in Denver, and with them probably working on stories about the West, a round of new polls by Mason-Dixon and the Denver Post, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and the Salt Lake Tribune will give everyone something to chew on. The polls have some good news and bad news for both McCain and Obama. On the plus side for McCain, he’s surprisingly up by four points in New Mexico (45%-41%) and seven points in Nevada (46%-39%). On the minus side for him, he’s ahead only by six points in his home state of Arizona (47%-41%), and he’s trailing Obama by three in Colorado (46%-43%), although a new Quinnipiac poll out today has McCain up one in this state (47%-46%).All very interesting. It's very close out here in the West (said like someone from the East Coast who is visiting for a week). And, that's due to a lot of hard work by the Democrats on the ground -- with some help from Howard Dean's 50-state strategy. You know the punditry never really thought these states would actually be in play. But, they are -- even Arizona, which says so much about John McCain. People who know him best don't like him.
