NEW YORK (AP) - The crowd on the Republican convention floor couldn't be more aware of how close the race for president is, from reminders at breakfast to speeches that run until nearly midnight. But few feel the pressure more than governors of states where the contest could go either way.
For the seven GOP governors among the so-called battleground states, this election is a handshaking, speechmaking marathon and an acid test of their political future.
"I'm doing everything I can to keep our party united behind our president," said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose state went for Bush by just 5 percentage points in 2000, and where the latest polls showed only a slight lead for the GOP.
"I don't feel so much the pressure for me personally. I feel the pressure of the country," said Huckabee, whose final term ends in two years and whose name has been floated as a potential presidential candidate. "I feel more a sense of urgency and burden for our nation."
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