It looks like the nation's economic woes have dragged this state back into a tie, after seemingly out of reach for Obama. This confirms two recent polls showing the race neck-and-neck. Let's be honest here -- this isn't a state we need to win. Its 3 electoral votes won't make much a difference to Obama's chances of victory. It's mathematically irrelevant.
But politically, it would be HUGE. This is a state Bush won by 28 points in 2004. Obama would expand the Democratic map, earning a national mandate by winning in every region of the country. And it would show Republicans that they aren't safe anywhere, not even in their supposed "strongholds".
The poll indicates McCain�s once-comfortable lead in North Dakota has melted away as Obama is the widely favored choice among voters who consider the economy the most pressing issue. Among voters who rank the economy as their top concern, 49 percent favor Obama, while 38 percent back McCain. The economy was far and away the most important national issue among voters, according to the poll, even though a majority regarded their own economic situation as �better off� or the �same� compared to a year ago.
Another troubling sign in the poll for McCain, who has styled himself as a maverick who is not a clone of President Bush: McCain has failed to solidify his hold on the GOP base in North Dakota, where he has the support of just 73 percent of voters identifying themselves as strong Republicans.
In February�s North Dakota Republican caucuses, McCain finished second behind Mitt Romney, barely ahead of Ron Paul, an early sign his campaign was not eagerly embraced by many of the party faithful.
By contrast, Obama has a commanding lead among Democratic voters and is a favorite among independent voters.
McCain�s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is shown as neither helping nor hurting the Republican among North Dakota voters. Eighty percent of those polled said McCain�s selection of Palin as running mate had little or no influence on their choice of primary candidate.
If Obama defeats McCain in North Dakota�s Nov. 4 election, it would be a historic loss for the Republicans, who have failed to carry the state in only three presidential elections since 1916, most recently Lyndon Johnson�s defeat of Barry Goldwater in 1964.
Not long ago, North Dakota appeared to be strongly behind McCain, despite Obama�s decision to open field offices throughout the state, an unprecedented presence by a Democratic presidential contender. The Obama campaign recently pulled its staff from North Dakota, shifting them to hotly contested Minnesota and Wisconsin, but a network of volunteers continues to work out of the offices.
