Battleground North Dakota

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Right after the Republican convention, the poll numbers leaped for John McCain and Barack Obama shuttered his North Dakota offices to disperse his paid staff into Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Reality has returned.

This morning, the leading newspaper instate, The Forum [Fargo] blasted a nearly full-page feature headlined: Obama Leads in ND.

The polling margin is tight -- Obama-45%, McCain-43%, with 12% Undecided. But within those numbers are some startling--for North Dakota--statistics. Like, 17% of those who self-identify as strong Republicans plan to vote for Obama. 40% of those who self-identify as independents plan to vote for Obama.

Right here in my own neighborhood, traditionally a Republican neighborhood, we've been trending Democratic for a couple of decades. This year, there's more "Sarah!" signs [2] than McCain signs [1].

And Obama signs are popping up on almost every block. A testimony to the candidate and a motivated grassroots operation in-state and elsewhere.

We are all battleground states now.... except for the ones Obama has already locked up.

Vote absentee early if you can...and on Election Day pitch in: GOTV, GOTV, GOTV.