Here's my call on which states are likeliest and least likely to vote for each party's presidential ticket this year -- and which 7 states I consider true tossups. How would you re-sort these lists?
My ticket assumptions are Bush/Cheney (which, of course, we shouldn't by any means consider a done deal, though I am beginning to pray that they keep Cheney on the ticket) and Kerry/Richardson. Obviously, were Bill Richardson not the VP nominee, New Mexico would slide considerably lower on the Democratic list. It's my position, though, that it would remain there, and that this notion that it is a true tossup is a false notion.
The lists are ordered from most to least likely to vote for each party.
The tossup list is ordered from most to least unpredictable.
Republican
- Texas (33 EV)
- Wyoming (3)
- Alaska (3)
- Utah (5)
- Mississippi (7)
- Idaho (4)
- Kansas (7)
- South Carolina (8)
- Alabama (8)
- Indiana (11)
- Nebraska (5)
- Virginia (11)
- Oklahoma (8)
- North Dakota (3)
- South Dakota (3)
- North Carolina (15)
- Georgia (15)
- Kentucky (8)
- Tennessee (11)
- Montana (3)
- Colorado (9)
- Florida (27)
- Missouri (11)
Total: 218 EV
Democratic
- D.C. (3)
- Massachusetts (12)
- Hawai'i (4)
- Rhode Island (4)
- Vermont (3)
- New Mexico (5)
- New York
- New Jersey (17)
- Washington (11)
- California (55)
- Maine (4)
- Connecticut (7)
- Maryland (10)
- Delaware (3)
- Illinois (21)
- Michigan (17)
- Wisconsin (10)
- Minnesota (10)
- Pennsylvania (21)
- Oregon (7)
- Iowa (7)
Total: 262 EV
Tossup
- Ohio (20) -- I call Dem
- New Hampshire (4) -- I call Dem
- West Virginia (5) -- I call Dem
- Arizona (10) -- I call Dem
- Nevada (5) -- I call Dem
- Arkansas (6) -- I call Rep
- Louisiana (8) -- I call Rep
Total: 58 EV