McCain campaign: We'll win where Clinton did

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: June 9, 2008
McCain campaign: We'll win where Clinton did
From CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

A new McCain strategy video stressing the Republican’s strong position heading into the fall.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – McCain campaign manager Rick Davis posted a 14-minute “strategy briefing” on the presumptive Republican nominee’s official Web site over the weekend that concedes the GOP faces one of the most unwelcoming election environments in history — but claims that John McCain is still in a strong position, due in part to a strategy of appealing to areas dominated by Hillary Clinton during the primary season. Top on the campaign’s list of targets: southwestern Pennsylvania and southeastern Ohio, which backed Clinton over Barack Obama by hefty double-digit margins. Clinton won both contests.

Davis says that McCain will be able to compete with Obama in major Midwestern states like Michigan and Wisconsin – and that McCain’s association with Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman will put Connecticut in play. He also tells observers to “Watch California!”

McCain’s personal favorability ratings are "the highest for any official running for office today," claims Davis – and far surpass Obama’s. Davis says the general election fight has been too close to call for months, according to Gallup polls. The two candidates split independents, and McCain pulls in a larger share of Republicans than Obama does Democrats.

Unfortunately for McCain, Obama’s numbers, gathered during a heated Democratic primary season, are likely to improve in the coming weeks. And this year, there are far more Democrats than Republicans, making McCain’s current edge among the party faithful far less significant....But (Davis) adds that the presumptive Republican nominee outperforms his own party’s generic ballot by double digits nationwide, as well as in areas like the border southwest – including the Arizona senator’s home base – and in the crucial swing state of Florida.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/09/mccain-campaign-well-win-where-clinton-did/#more-7728

[papau]

1. polls show that to be true only if Hill is not VP - and the polls are early in the season

[LiberalFighter]

2. Davis is an idiot... Primaries are not the same as the General

Clinton winning states in the primary does not mean that McCain will win those states.

Just as Obama winning states in the primary does not mean that Obama will win the same states in the General. But Obama has a better chance of turning states than McCain.

Obama and Clinton were targeting the same electorate during the primary. They both expanded their electorate outside the normally Democratic base to win the primary. And Davis forgets that Limbaugh was pushing for crossover votes to screw up our nomination. Many of those crossovers will return in November and vote for McCain. But there may be some that will vote for Obama wouldn't under normal circumstances vote for a Democrat. But IMO many more of the Republicans will be staying home.

Sure there will be Democrats that will be staying home but that always happens. The question is what are the numbers involved and how will that compare to the Republicans staying home?