McCain: I Can Win Here!
That was the headline of my local paper that greeted me this morning. Do I live in Michigan or Wisconsin or a swing state? No, the headline was from the Lincoln(Nebraska) Journal Star.
In the 2004 presidential election, George Bush won 66 percent of the votes cast. Kerry only hit 50 percent in one county which is located on a reservation. In Lincoln and Omaha where a good share of the state's Democrats reside only yield 42 percent and 40 percent respectively for Kerry.
In other words, taking Nebraska should be a given. And for the most part it is but it may end up closer this year.
McCain's fundraising visit
Nebraska has not voted Democratic in a presidential race since 1964, but recent polls indicate that Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has moved within single digits of McCain in both the 1st Congressional District, which includes Lincoln, and metropolitan Omaha’s 2nd District.
Under Nebraska’s divided electoral vote system, the winner of each congressional district receives a presidential electoral vote. The other two votes go to the statewide winner.
McCain says he plans to campaign in Nebraska but that's probably just spin. If he ends up having to campaign here, he's in real trouble.
And on the topic of Chuck Hagel, McCain had this to say:
McCain said Sen. Chuck Hagel remains "one of my dearest and best friends" despite his decisions not to endorse McCain and to associate himself with Obama by accompanying the presumptive Democratic nominee on a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hagel had served as national co-chairman of McCain’s presidential campaign in 2000.
"Chuck and I have a disagreement on the war in Iraq," McCain said.
"I respect his views. He’s an independent spirit.