Barack Obama looking good in four battlegrounds

Eagerly awaited polls from four key states will be welcomed by the Barack Obama camp today -- he leads in every case (though his edge over John McCain in Colorado is within the margin of error, barely).

Here are the results from the surveys conducted by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in conjunction with washingtonpost.com and the Wall Street Journal:

Colorado (9 electoral votes): Obama 49%, McCain 44%

Michigan (17 electoral votes): Obama 48%, McCain 42%

Minnesota (10 electoral votes): Obama 54%, McCain 37%

Wisconsin (10 electoral votes): Obama 52%, McCain 39%

And here's an attention-grabbing quote from Peter A. Brown, the polling institute's assistant director: "November can't get here soon enough for Sen. Barack Obama. He has a lead everywhere, and if nothing changes between now and November he will make history."

But then Brown hedges his bet, adding that Obama "should not be picking out the drapes for the Oval Office just yet. His lead nationally, and double digits in some key states, is not hugely different from where Sen. John Kerry stood four years ago at this point" in his ultimately unsuccessful bid to unseat President Bush.

Kerry carried Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and Obama almost assuredly needs to hold them as part of assembling the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. Bush won Colorado; if Obama triumphs in all the states that went for Kerry, a win in Colorado would put him 10 electoral votes away from 270.

More of what Brown has to say and a raft of polling data can be perused here. The Swamp's take on this story is available here.

Perhaps the politician who will be most chagrined by the results is Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. He is widely mentioned as a vice presidential prospect on McCain's ticket, but his stock will drop if, as the summer progresses, it continues to appear unlikely that his home state is in play.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[PulSamsara]

Barack Obama for President of the UNITED States of America.

[NinaK]

Great news for the United States!!! I am very hopeful this continues into the general election! Senator Obama will be a great President!!!

[PacificGatePost]

OBAMA’S ARTISTRY OF THE AMBIGUOUS - It is not his lack of experience that will work against him, it is his indecision.

Obama would be well served by his hired help if it could move him to specifics on numerous critical fronts.

Voters are looking for definitive action while they battle overwhelming increases in costs on all fronts.

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/06/obamas-artistry-of-ambiguous.html

[Pat]

I think this race depends on who either canidate picks for vice presdent. neither one is quailified to hold the position of president in my humble opion. Neither was Hillary. Somebody with enough guts has to stand up and take control and do the right thing. This country is being over run by assholes and distroying our fundermaental rights. Congress is full of loser who only care about there own pockets and how muh money they can steal from the amerian public. We need someone who will enforce the consistution of the United States.

[Jesse]

Hmmm....haven't heard those freak Clinton supporters in awhile who said the Obama campaign was backed by Republican money and votes....

[Ann Johnson]

More people mesmerized by Obama's talk. He's a great talker. But, he "changes" his positions more times than anyone I know. That's old politics, not "change." I'm sick and tired of his double-talk... saying one thing when he's trying to get the working class' votes, and then backtracking and saying something different when he's talking with his Latin-speaking pals. Working class Democrats like myself think he is arrogant and pompous, and that he going to saying anything to get elected. He swift-boated Clinton, and now he's going to do try to do the same with McCain. That's "change" we can't believe in.

McCain in '08

[DoTheMath]

"His lead nationally, and double digits in some key states, is not hugely different from where Sen. John Kerry stood four years ago at this point in his ultimately unsuccessful bid to unseat President Bush."

John Kerry was swifboated in AUGUST. Both Kerry and Bush were in the public finance system. How'd that work out for us?

[sam]

People are tired of republicans for so many reasons, are republicans surprised by this? They still think everything is perfect, however the polls speak loud and clear. Obama 08

[Sara]

"OBAMA’S ARTISTRY OF THE AMBIGUOUS - It is not his lack of experience that will work against him, it is his indecision." Because you think McCain has never ever flip-flopped on any issues?! Give me a break! There are numerous issues he's changed his mind about (abortion rights, offshore drilling, 100 years in Iraq, [his opinion of] Jerry Falwell, creationism teaching being allowed in the classroom, and tax cuts are just some examples of the issues he's flip-flopped over).

[Real]

It' comical

How did it come down to these two wishy washy losers.

Oh Boy!

[robin]

Ann Johnson (above) is no Democrat. These transparent attempts out of the republican playbook at trying to influence debat under a false identity are tiresome , obvious and dishonest.

[Ann Johnson]

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I came back to read comments. Robin, just because a person is not for Obama, doesn't mean that person is not a Democrat.

Don't you understand? There was a lot of hurt feelings from those who supported Hillary, and Obama had done little to ease the pain. Not to mention, Obama supporters kept on rubbing the salt in our wounds and seem to always be bragging about their win.

But, after hearing Obama asking his high dollar supporters and himself to help Hillary with her debt, I think it was a step in the right direction, even though I'm not for multi-millionaires needing debt relief.

Still Obama needs to do more... maybe we need time, maybe more. Right now, I still think Obama is arrogant and sly, and I just can't respect him. I do respect the "maverick Republican" McCain, even though I don't believe in all his policies. But I liked him and Sen. Ben Nelson (D) when they lead the bipartisan Gang of 14 not long ago. Come November, since time will have passed, my vote may or may not change.

[Vectorpedia (Rick)]

We will continue to see Obama's poll numbers grow stronger as the election nears........it appears that McCain is toast

[aleks]

I know that ignorance of flyover country is a badge of sophistication in California, but since we do still get electoral votes, it wouldn't kill you to know something about the states you're reporting on. If Minnesota and Wisconsin were truly battleground states, Obama would have his back against the wall. Obama's more likely to carry Georgia than McCain is to pick up Minnesota.