Wait For It (With Update)

Should be an interesting next few weeks:

John McCain’s fade in recent polls, combined with a barrage of negative news coverage during the financial crisis, has leading Republican activists around the country worrying about his prospects and urging his campaign to become much more aggressive against Barack Obama in the remaining month before Election Day.

A flurry of new polls shows Barack Obama gaining in several battleground states – most notably Florida, Pennsylvania and swing states throughout the West. Officials worry early voting, which is under way in important states such as Ohio, is likely to favor Obama in this toxic political climate.

Several state GOP chairmen in interviews urged the McCain campaign to be more aggressive in hitting Obama’s vulnerabilities, such as his past relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and other problematic associations from Chicago. * * *

Well, Obama is more than merely gaining in Florida. He's now tied with McCain there -- at least that's what the latest FoxNews poll says -- and is even ahead 49% to 46% in one poll.

I guess my question is this: Why isn't McCain using Rev. Wright, William Ayers, and Tony Rezko in ads right now? It certainly isn't due to any great friendship between the two men. McCain hates Obama.

I guess someone in the campaign decided that running such ads at this time could do more harm to McCain than good. After all, Obama's so-called "problematic associations from Chicago" didn't have much of an impact on the Democratic primaries.

In any event, I have no doubt we'll be hearing all about Wright, Ayers, and Rezko very soon, if not from the McCain Camp itself, then certainly from Swift-Boat groups. The question then becomes whether the Obama Campaign counter-punches by bringing up McCain's "Keating Five" Scandal.

Which raises another question -- why isn't the Obama Campaign bringing up McCain's "Keating Five" Scandal? It seems like it would be an important thing to point out about McCain's past given the financial crisis we currently face.

UPDATE: Well, that didn't take long -- a conservative group has just launched a new anti-Obama ad featuring Rev. Wright, William Ayers, and Tony Rezko all in a single ad. Meanwhile, a new set of CNN polls is showing Obama's lead widening in some important battleground states:

In Florida, the state that decided the 2000 presidential election, 51 percent of likely voters say Obama, D-Illinois, is their choice for president, with 47 percent backing Republican presidential nominee John McCain. * * *

Obama's also making gains over McCain in Minnesota, the state in which the Republican convention was held a month ago. Fifty-four percent of those questioned are backing Obama, with 43 percent supporting McCain, R-Arizona. That 11-point lead is much larger than the 2-point advantage Obama had in the last CNN poll taken in Minnesota a month ago.

It's a similar story in Missouri, where 49 percent of those polled are backing Obama and 48 percent supporting McCain. That's a gain for Obama, who was down 5 points to McCain in CNN's last poll in Missouri, taken three weeks ago. The only other new poll in Missouri, a Research 2000 survey, indicates McCain ahead by 1 point. * * *

The poll also indicates Obama has a 4-point lead over McCain in Nevada, 51- 47 percent. CNN's last survey in Nevada, taken in late August, had McCain up slightly. A new American Research Group poll in Nevada puts McCain ahead by 2 points.

In Virginia, which hasn't voted for the Democrats in a presidential contest since 1964, the new poll suggests Obama has a 9-point lead, 53-44 percent.

Virginia is now a battleground state. Wow.