THE STATES

Posted at 6:35 p.m. ET

New state polls out today offer no particular encouragement for Senator McCain.  At the same time, always remember that when one news organization releases a group of state polls, the results reflect the methodology of that organization.

These polls reflect the end of the McCain bounce, and the economic turmoil this week.

Rasmussen has Obama up two in Wisconsin and up four in Oregon.  CNN/TIME has Obama up three in Wisconsin.  Actually, those are encouraging, as both Wisconsin and Oregon are liberal states.

But CNN/TIME has a tie in Florida, a state where recent polls showed McCain well ahead.  They have Obama up two in Ohio, another state that recently seemed to trend toward McCain.  They have McCain up only one in North Carolina, a narrow lead in a state also moving toward McCain.  I have some doubts about these CNN/TIME results, but it's always possible that they're catching a McCain decline because of the economy.  Later polls will tell us.

Virginia, a critical state:  A PPP poll has Obama up two, but a CNU Virginia poll has McCain up nine.

There are some worrisome results here, but the election is many weeks away, and this is only one series of polls, taken at a particularly bad time for Senator McCain, when economic turmoil is on the front page, and when the normal fade from his convention is underway.

Fight on.

September 17, 2008.