OMAHA — With just four weeks until the election, John McCain is facing an increasingly steep path to the presidency, as the economic crisis and Barack Obama's financial edge tilt the political landscape to the Democrat's advantage.
After two of the closest presidential races in history, the candidates are battling for a dwindling number of states as they scavenge for the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. Both sides say the contest is competitive; the second of three presidential debates takes place tonight in Nashville, starting at 6 Pacific time.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, October 08, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 38 words Type of Material: Correction
Nebraska lawmakers: An article in Tuesday's Section A about Barack Obama's and John McCain's efforts to win electoral votes in key states said that Nebraska's five members of Congress were all Republicans. Sen. Ben Nelson is a Democrat.
McCain, however, clearly faces the tougher road. After pulling out of Michigan, a Democratic-leaning state he hoped to snatch away, the Republican nominee faces an exceedingly slim margin for error as he defends a number of must-win states. Chief among them are Ohio and Florida, the states that decided the last two presidential elections. Polls show they are once again close.
Obama, by contrast, has expanded the competition to several states that Republicans usually count on, including Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Indiana and North Carolina. Obama even hopes to pick off an electoral vote here in Nebraska, a Republican stronghold that allows its five electoral votes to be split, awarding three of them by congressional district.
"It's always tough for Democrats," Steve Achelpohl, the Nebraska party chairman, conceded. "But given the general unhappiness with the state of the country, he's got a decent chance. So why not try?"
Obama is targeting Omaha and its surrounding area, an urban patchwork in this mostly rural state, which has a growing young population and a number of black and Latino residents. The Illinois senator already has a running start, having advertised for months as a way to reach voters just across the river in Iowa.
Republicans scoff at the attempt. In 50 years of presidential elections, Nebraska is second only to Utah in support for the GOP ticket. (The state has voted 61.1% Republican to Utah's 61.6%, according to the Almanac of American Politics.) All six statewide offices are held by Republicans, the GOP controls the unicameral Legislature, and all five members of Congress are Republican. The state has not sent a Democrat to the House in 16 years.
"One thing the Obama campaign obviously has is a big pile of money," said Mark Quandahl, chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party. "When a campaign is as lavishly funded as the Obama campaign, they're obviously going to have to find places to spend money."
