The 2004 presidential election is set to be another cliff-hanger. The past three years have brought tumultuous events-September 11th, an economic downturn, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to mention just four-and yet America is still stuck in election day 2000, a nation of red and blue partisans vying for dominance. The 2004 election is likely to become the first $1 billion campaign in American history, with John Kerry and various left-ish groups raising money at the same furious rate as George Bush. And yet in large swathes of the country the result is a foregone conclusion. Texas and most of the South will vote for Mr Bush come what may; New York and California will vote for Mr Kerry. The two parties will devote almost all their extraordinary reserves of treasure and energy to wooing voters in 18 swing states. We begin a series on these states with one of the tightest contests.
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