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The GOP nominee also is only playing in five states that Democrat John Kerry won in 2004 -- Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire and, now, Maine -- and he's running behind. McCain abandoned efforts Thursday in Michigan, as Obama reaches double-digit lead in that high-unemployment state.
Some Republicans close to McCain's campaign fret in private that Obama may be pulling away for good; others aren't so pessimistic.
''He needs to be able to speak to his strengths and remind people of why they like him,'' said Tom Rath, a New Hampshire delegate to the Republican National Convention. Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer said McCain must clearly ''distinguish between the two approaches to governing.'' And Ted Welch, a veteran Republican fundraiser in Tennessee, said: ''He has to give voters enough reasons to vote for him. He hasn't yet.''
That doesn't appear to be the campaign's priority in the final weeks. GOP operatives say the goal is to undercut Obama, likely by raising questions about his associations with convict Antoin ''Tony'' Rezko, a former Obama top fundraiser, and Bill Ayers, a founder of a 1960s radical group.
''We're looking at a very aggressive last 30 days of turning the page on this financial crisis and getting back to discussing Mr. Obama's aggressively liberal record and how he will be too risky for Americans,'' senior adviser Greg Strimple told reporters Thursday.
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