McCain Finally Decides To Pay Attention To Hoosiers

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(UNDATED)- Republican John McCain’s presidential campaign is finally making plans to devote resources to Indiana, while pulling the plug on the state’s northern neighbor.

Michigan was among the big industrial states John McCain hoped to tip into the Republican column. Last week, the campaign conceded the state's Democratic leanings are too strong and shut down its efforts there.

IUPUI Political Analyst Brian Vargus says President Bush's narrow loss to John Kerry in Michigan in 2004 lulled McCain into thinking he had a shot there. In reality, he says, the state's high minority concentrations, Democratic suburbs and current economic upheaval made that highly unlikely.

Vargus says with Michigan off the board, it becomes much harder to find a winning combination for McCain. He says Pennsylvania remains a must-win state for both candidates, but says Barack Obama probably needs only a couple of the remaining nine or so swing states.

Vargus doesn't see Indiana as one of those battlegrounds, despite polls showing the race still close.

Even so, he says Republicans were right to put in a "maintenance dose" of campaign ads to safeguard the state.

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