Why are Montana and Georgia not considered "swing states" when New Hampshire and Pennsylvania are?

[Ediacara]

Obama's ahead by about 10% in New Hampshire, yet it's still a swing state according to many:



Obama's ahead by almost 15% in Pennsylvania, yet it's still a tossup according to many:



But in Montana, McCain leads by less than 10%, yet no one in the media thinks it's a swing state:



Likewise, in Georgia, McCain leads by just 6%, but does the media call it a swing state?



Of course the answer is that the media wants a "horse race" and a "dead heat" down to the very last minute to maximize viewership, despite the fact that that's looking increasingly silly...

[El Fuego]

1. I think it means the state has gone either way in past elections.

Florida voted for Bill Clinton, then went red again (albeit by theft), so it's a swing state. Georgia has been solidly red for a long, long time.

[Ediacara]

3. Georgia and Montana both went to Clinton in 1992

Which although not terribly recent is more recent than the last time Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia went Blue (1964 IIRC).

The point I was trying to make is that Obama seems to have hold of most of the so-called swing states and that polling has shown him winning in a blow-out for quite some time. If the media is going to continue calling NH and PA swing states, they may as well start calling almost every state a swing state...

[kwolf68]

2. Becuase they arent?

Obama's not winning either state, nor does he need to.

[abburdlen]

4. Not long ago

some said Obama wasn't going to win Virgina or North Carolina.

[Ediacara]

6. McCain's not winning Pennsylvania or New Hampshire

yet they're still "swing states."

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[AndyTiedye]

7. Georgia's Voting Machinez Suck (away Democratic Votes)