What's up with CNN's strange treatment of New Mexico on their electoral map?

[featherman]

CNN shows New Mexico as "lean McCain".
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/10/electoral.map/in...

This despite these simple facts:

-Democrats have a large registration lead in NM

-New Mexico voted Dem in three of the last four elections with Bush barely ekeing out a victory by a few thousand votes in 2004

-Obama has had the lead in 5 of the the last seven polls with one tie and only one poll back in April showing a McCain lead. Obama's polling average lead is over 5 points

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com /

But instead of a toss-up (at minimum) CNN deceptively lists NM as "lean McCain". Strange stuff. I can only guess they are giving him some kind of neighboring state edge as offsetting polls, trends, and voting history.

I don't disagree with much of the rest of their map except for a few quibbles: IA, NH, and MI are probably more likely "lean Obama" than toss up, MT is a toss up, and ND more of a "lean McCain" than a "solid".

[Bill McBlueState]

1. I wouldn't pay much attention to this map

When they say their estimate is based on "several factors, including polling, voting trends, and ad spending," I read that as...

"We're tinkering quite a bit with the results so we can maintain the illusion of a close race."

[Bullet1987]

2. The MSM is trying to maintain the illusion of the race being closer than it is

As of right now of course.

[dbonds]

3. When they steal it in Nov it has to be believable.