Campaign Diaries

We still have 7 weeks left before Election Day, and legal battles are already popping up. Two days ago, I wrote about Republican plans to use lists of foreclosed homes to challenge voters at the polls. Because African-Americans are disproportionately affected by foreclosures, such a tactic could be very damaging to Obama. Though I pointed out that the Columbus Dispatch had reported that similar plans exist in Ohio, it is in Michigan that this became most controversial after the chair of Macomb County’s Republican Party told the Michigan Messenger about these plans.

Today, Democrats confirmed that they are planning on aggressively countering any voter suppression attempt. The Obama campaign, Michigan’s Democratic Party and three voters whose house has been foreclosed just filed suit over the GOP’s plan. Their goal is to get a ruling that bars voter challengers from using a list of foreclosed homes to challenge people on November 4th. And claim is straight-forwardly that a foreclosure notice in no way implies that voters are no longer living at that address because they might have had a refinancing solution or because they have 60 days to move out. If a voter falls in those categories and is challenged, he would have to file a provisional ballot - and those are less likely to actually be counted.

Republicans are disputing the Michigan Messenger’s reporting and the quotes that are being attributed to a GOP official, though that official did not deny the story when asked by CBS News a few days ago. Now, Republicans have announced they will be filing their own libel suit, disputing the charge that they were ever planning such a thing. Even if the GOP now backs down on this issue, First Read notes that some Obama officials are worried that the coverage of this controversy will already discourage first-time voters and voters whose homes have been foreclosed from going to the polls.

Meanwhile, a potential headache has arisen for McCain in Montana. The Montana branch of the Constitution Party has nominated Ron Paul to be its presidential nominee and placed him on the ballot, with Michael Peroutka (the party’s 2004 nominee) as his running mate. Paul asked for his name to be removed, but Montana’s Secretary of State notified yesterday that his request had come too late and that his name could no longer be removed. Montana’s ballot will thus contain Ron Paul alongside Obama, McCain, Ralph Nader and Bob Barr.

Considering how devoted a following Paul has and the fact that his supporters seem very excited about this development, Paul could certainly get a decent share of the vote. And while Paul backers can certainly not be easily classified as Republicans or conservatives, there is little doubt that he would end up siphoning votes away more from McCain. In a close election - and Montana surveys have showed a very competitive race, especially as Obama has invested significant resources in the state - that could certainly make a difference. Remember that Paul came in second in Montana’s February 5th caucus, ahead of McCain, confirming that Paul has a significant base - especially in the libertarian-leaning Mountain West.

In other battleground news:

• The News and Observer takes a look at the unusually competitive final stretch in North Carolina. Nothing groundbreaking, but yet another confirmation of how North Carolina has in many ways become ground zero this year with three competitive statewide elections (not to mention the competitive Democratic primary).

• The Miami Herald notes that McCain is bringing up immigration (a topic he has avoided for much of the past year) in his aggressive efforts to contest Florida’s Hispanic vote.

• The Denver Post profiles undecided female voters who are attracted by Palin in Colorado’s crucial Jefferson County.