Has McCain given up on Colorado?

By Michael J.W. Stickings

He gave up on Michigan, and now it looks like McCain's giving up on Colorado, too. As CNN's John "Magic Board" King is reporting, the McCain campaign is "looking for a way to win without Colorado."

And also without Iowa and New Mexico.

According to a "top McCain insider," these three states are "gone." (New Mexico and especially Iowa are solidly for Obama at this point. Colorado is much more of a battleground state.)

The official McCain response, of course, tells a different story: "We see the race tightening both internally and in public polling. We are within striking distance in the key battleground states we need to win."

Well, maybe. The spin just isn't all that convincing. The current RCP Average for Colorado, after all, is Obama +5.5. (But who knows? The race does seem to be tightening somewhat overall.)