If you were making a list of states that should, by rights, be dependably red this year, Arizona would rank near the top. In 2000, it went for George W. Bush over Al Gore, 51-45. In 2004, it went for Bush again, 55-44. And it happens to be John McCain’s home state.
But the latest poll to ask Arizona residents their plans for this year’s presidential election shows McCain running neck-and-neck with Barack Obama. Conducted over the weekend by Arizona State University, the poll shows McCain leading 46-44, within the margin of error. He had a 7-point lead in the same survey one month ago. A Rasmussen poll also conducted recently shows McCain up by 5 points, also within the margin of error.
Democrats are seizing the opportunity to poke the Republican nominee over these results. The chairman of the state’s Democratic Party is scheduled to hold a conference call Wednesday afternoon to discuss the numbers with reporters.
