You know what the pundits are saying about Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania: She must win there to keep the Democratic race "competitive."
What once was a 15-point lead at the beginning of March is now a five-point lead -- and it's shrinking, according to a new Rasmussen poll completed Monday.
The shift coincides with Barack Obama's campaign emphasis in the state, which includes a bus tour and triple the television advertising that Clinton is running. As a result of his efforts, Obama has picked up five points (we're going to stay away from calling it a "surge").
In other polling news, behold, the latest RealClearPolitics numbers:
Pollsters love to talk about patterns. Do you see any here?Democrats (Obama-Clinton):
Total delegates: Obama + 136 (1635 - 1499)
Pledged Delegates: Obama + 169 (1417 - 1248)
Popular Vote: Obama +2.6 (49.5 - 46.9)Popular Vote (w/FL): Obama +1.4 (48.5 - 47.1)
Nat'l RCP Average: Obama +2.6 (45.4 - 42.8)
Pennsylvania: Clinton +14.2 (37.8 - 52.0)North Carolina: Obama +12.0 (49.8 - 37.8)
General Election:
National:
McCain-Obama: McCain +0.2
McCain-Clinton: McCain +0.6
Pennsylvania
McCain-Obama: McCain +2.2
McCain-Clinton: McCain +0.4
Ohio
McCain-Obama: McCain +7.0
Clinton-McCain: Clinton +0.3
Florida
McCain-Obama: McCain +6.8
McCain-Clinton: McCain +2.8
I'll make it easy for you: Lots of Obama all over the Democratic numbers, and lots of McCain all over the general election numbers ...
No wonder Howard Dean is all in a lather.
