John McCain abandoned efforts last week in costly 17-electoral-vote Michigan (above), as Barack Obama approaches a double-digit lead in the high-unemployment state and it became clear McCain couldn’t shake President Bush’s drag.
* McCain can’t prevail without holding onto most of the states that Bush won, and he’s virtually tied or trailing in polls in at least 10 of them — Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia — as he tries to fend off Obama’s well-funded advertising onslaught and grass-roots efforts.
* The GOP nominee also is only playing in five states that Democrat John Kerry won in 2004 — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire and, now, Maine — and he’s running behind.
