Jim McGreevy.

Michigan is THE toughest nut...AFL-CIO's strongest state...AFSCME very strong here too...and NEA...and on and on and on...

Bush better be ahead by 5-7 points on election day or they're gonna steal it.

As a wolverine, I have to believe that if New Jersey can be that close, there's no reason Michigan can't be either. haven't seen any recent polls, but Rassmussen had it tied on the 30th...

Analysis (I'm being generous to myself with this description) of Michigan over at my blog; scroll down a bit and leave a comment if you like

Otherwise, Instapundit already linked it but everyone should read ejectejecteject.com

No offense Ace but it's the best posting I've ever read. EVER.

Bill at ejecteject...excellent rant. Thanks for the tip, Birkel!

Articulated the central issues of strategy in the WoT and Iraq in a way the Bushies can't or won't. Give Bill a White House speechwriter's job if there is a 2nd Term.

While the Jersey vote is still close, Bush's lead continues to shrink as more post-debate polls come out, from around 7 points down to 1.5 in the past 7 days.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Presidential_04/RCP_EC.html

Pennsylvania is now shifted from toss-up to leaning Kerry. Ohio and Iowa have moved from leaning Bush to toss-up. Maine is back with Kerry, as is New Mexico.

If Bush has Binnie stashed in Crawford, now might be a good time to haul him out. Or finally launch the battle to wipe out the terrorists in Fallujah. Or to take some "energy and articulatiousness" pills to get ready for Friday's Kerry debate.

Michigan might move towards Bush like NJ did, if they too had a freshly outed gay adulterous governor, who hired his unqualified lover for the top anti-terrorism job in the state at over $100,000 of public funds. Every time NJ voters think of the democrat party, waves of nausea come over them.

Are you in Michigan Ace? If so shoot me a note, we'll get together for dinner some time.

Anyway: Bush is well within striking distance in Michigan. It's not that tough a nut to crack. We had a Republican governor, a very popular one, for 12 years, and when he was term-limited out, the Democrat Granholm replaced him, but in a squeaker election victory against an incredibly weak and inept Republican. That same year, Republicans took every single other statewide office, and kept comfortable majorities in both state houses.

No, Michigan is HARDLY unwinnable for Republicans. But the economy's been slower here than in much of the rest of the Union, so it's a tougher slog for him.