Items From Battlegrounders on National Review Online

This is a new section on National Review Online. It has some very interesting items about battleground states.

OHIO: JOURNALISM IN JOURNALISM SCHOOL

Ohio University student Nick Juliano did something I haven't seen any mainstream journalist do: press Kerry on his claims about President Bush's position on the draft. From the article : "Under questioning from Juliano, Kerry backed off his recent assertion that there was a "great potential" that President Bush would reinstate the draft if re-elected, but denied that he was exploiting the fear of young men."

Maybe the mainstream liberal media can learn something from this kid.

MISSOURI: THEY ARE COMING FROM KANSAS TO VOTE

It has been reported here that Missouri has more voters than people. The blame was put on the state's failure to purge voter rolls when people change residences. Now it appears that another reason may be that people are coming in from Kansas to vote, while planning to vote in Kansas as well. AP reports that "James Scherzer, 68, of Kansas City, Kan.; Lorraine Goodrich, 39, of Prairie Village, Kan.; and Leslie McIntosh, 67, of Kansas City, Mo., were each charged with giving false residency information to elections officials. In each case, they registered to vote using different residence addresses in both states and signed forms at the polling places swearing they lived at those addresses, authorities said."

What is the penalty? Up to five years and a $250,000 fine.

MICHIGAN: LAND OF DUBYA OPPORTUNITY?

The surprise Detroit News/Mitchell Research poll giving President Bush a four-point lead over John Kerry in Michigan has reawakened interest in a battleground state that opinion-makers here had already chalked up in Kerry's win column.

For evidence of just how much the poll flies in the face of conventional wisdom, read today's R. W. Apple - bylined story (written before The News' poll results were published) in the New York Times headlined: "Kerry in the lead, but almost by default."

So confident is Kerry of victory here that he has not visited the state since September 15 - and he not expected to return before Election Day.

Meanwhile, the Bush campaign has poured money into western Michigan - a sign of weakness, experts say, because he has not yet shored up his conservative base there. Why? Because western Michigan has been hammered by job losses at companies like Whirlpool, Electrolux, and Johnson Controls - losses more often associated with auto factory closings in Southeast Michigan. Apple cites even Republican sources as worrying that "the president is doing less well than expected in that conservative stronghold."

Or do the Bushies see an opportunity? Why, after all, would the campaign buy so much media in a state that experts have written off for Kerry? And why have Dick Cheney and Laura Bush made Michigan their second home in recent weeks? The News' tracking poll surveyed 400 voters. It's next poll - covering 600 likely voters - will be eagerly watched when it comes out this weekend.



Battlegrounders on National Review Online