McCain says his home state is a SWING state

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

Source: Washington Independent

McCain Calls Arizona a Swing State
It's the Senator's Home Turf, but It's Not Safe Ground in November

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) (twinkletoez, Flickr)
By John Dougherty 06/10/2008 | 10 Comments
PHOENIX--Sen. John McCain’s big struggle to energize a suspicious conservative Republican base and attract crucial independent voters is a national fight that encompasses his home state of Arizona. Despite representing the state in Congress for 26 years, McCain is now confronting a resurgent state Democratic Party and a burgeoning number of unpredictable independent voters.

While Arizona Republicans are bogged down with nasty infighting and a slumping number of registered voters, Arizona Democrats are gaining voters daily. Powered by Sen. Barack Obama’s voter registration drive, Democratic voter registration is up 2.8 percent in the last year and Democrats are poised to gain control of a majority of the state’s House congressional delegation for the first time in decades.

The biggest shift in the Arizona political landscape has been in the number of voters registering as independents -- up 7.6 percent in the last year. Arizona is now essentially a tri-party state -- Republicans make up 38 percent of registered voters; Democrats, 34 percent, and independents, 27 percent. Securing a plurality of independents will be crucial to the presidential race here and Obama has the early edge. Without the enthusiastic support of rank-and-file Republicans, McCain could face a desert dogfight that could wind up costing him the White House in a close contest.

In a clear signal that Arizona’s 10 electoral votes are up for grabs, the McCain campaign has added Arizona to its list of 24 “battleground states” with their 242 electoral votes.

Much more at the link...

Read more: http://www.washingtonindependent.com/view/mccain-campaign

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I firmly believe that the entire West is in play this election. Obama will do very well.

[madaboutharry]

1. There are many new voters in Arizona and people

who have moved to Arizona from NY and CA. And Gov. Napolitano won her re-election in a landslide. Whether any of this means Arizona is a swing state is debatable.

[KarenS]

2. and,,,, some of us living here are going to work hard

at turning Arizona blue :)

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. I think there's a good chance...

Pheonix, Flagstaff and other large urban areas are growing faster than any other regions of the country besides Las Vegas. I really do believe that he has a great chance and Napolitano is very popular! Hopefully we'll get rid of Kyl as a senator. I think it could work. The AZ press has always hated John McSame.

[madaboutharry]

4. When I lived in Arizona, I always found the

disconnect between the AZ press and the national media so interesting. I couldn't understand how he had the MSM so bamboozled. The AZ press caught on early that he is full of shit.

[harun]

6. 27% Indies, that's encouraging. I think it is possible, good luck (n/t)

[zbdent]

5. would explain why he divorced his first wife ...

[Mz Pip]

7. If that's the case

then the GOP is really really in trouble. :bounce:

I know my AZ Republican cousins don't think much of McCain. I don't see them voting for Obama but I can see them sitting this one out. Hopefully, there will be a whole lot more folks like them in AZ come November.

[DuaneBidoux]

8. We can only hope so.