Campaign 2008 Update

Cook: McCain needs something big to change the dynamics -- something bigger than a kick-ass ad, a strong debate performance, or a misstep by Obama. If voters stay focused on the economy, this contest could soon be out of McCain's reach. If their attention returns to national security in the next week or so, he could still come back.  More...

Rothenberg: Barack Obama is heading to victory in the 2008 presidential election, and John McCain must do something to change that trajectory to avoid a loss.  And McCain’s chances of doing that are growing dimmer and dimmer.  More...  Also, Rothenberg's Battleground State Ratings

Politico: John McCain’s chief strategist Steve Schmidt said Monday that the campaign is “well within striking distance” of Barack Obama.  More...

Washington Post: A detailed look inside the poll shows just how toxic the national political environment has become for Republicans.  Just eight percent of the national sample believe the country is headed in the right direction while a stunning 90 percent believe it is off in the wrong direction.  More...

Politico: The Republican National Committee, growing nervous over the prospect of Democrats’ winning a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, is considering tapping into a $5 million line of credit this week to aid an increasing number of vulnerable incumbents, top Republicans say.  More...

NYT: The anxiety is more acute this year, because Senator Obama is the first African-American major-party presidential nominee. And even pollsters say they can’t be sure how accurately polls capture people’s feelings about race, or how forthcoming Americans are in talking about a black candidate.  More...