Kerry won 19 states. Either Dem candidate can do this.

[Jennicut]

This whole big state/small state argument is dumb. Win Kerry's states plus one more = winning the election. No Texas, Florida, Dakotas, south needed.

[AtomicKitten]

1. Of course: The ClintonCo argument is flawed by facts.

[leftofcool]

2. and he lost

[NJSecularist]

3. It's not Kerry's states plus one more

It's Kerry's states plus a large state like Florida or Ohio. He needs to pick up 2 or 3 more states if he wants to win without Ohio and Florida.

[democrattotheend]

4. 1 big or 2 medium-sized

If we win back Iowa or New Mexico (which Bush won by less than 1%) and win either Missouri or Virginia we win without Ohio or Florida.

[NJSecularist]

5. Iowa, New Mexico and Colorado

Along with all of Kerry's states.

That's not an easy task....

[bluestateguy]

6. That's a poor strategy

It leaves no room for error. Kerry came close--he lost Ohio--but he also only won some of those blue states by a whisker: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Hampshire. He had to fight hard to win them, and the Bush campaign fought him every step of the way, which of course they were free to do because Kerry wrote off the South and a big chunk of the Mountain states.