What about the key states?
Been meaning to come back to this as the greatest shite show on earth builds to its climax.
So here goes (sort of). I think one of the first distinctions to make is that Trump has barely given the impression of having a strategy at all. He might have tactics, but I think the strategy (so far as one really exists) has been written retrospectively by commentators who are merely colouring in the spaces based on their observations of what's happened. Basically I'm of the opinion that you're more likely to be correct by giving Trump little benefit of any doubt and selecting the easiest explanation. I think he basically stood on the Republican ticket, shot his mouth off, and the results of this were then backfitted as strategic intent and design. Now having said that, there is little doubt that his messaging was going to meet with different levels of reception across the demographics and across the country. That needn't be a grand design though. His failure to adjust in May after he won the nomination cost him momentum. He started picking fights with his own party and doubled down on his messaging. It's as if he didn't understand that he now had to persuade Democrats to support him, and more of the same wouldn't work
What seems to be happening however is that Trump is trying to navigate a narrow flight path where he jeopardises some states by reducing Republican majorities in places like Arizona and Texas, whilst hoping to pick up votes elsewhere. He's hoping that his 'They're taking our jobs' mantra will help him gain the blue collar votes in the upper mid west, even if it means losing support elsewhere. If he over does it, then he risks losing somewhere like Arizona. Even if he picks up Ohio in compensation, it won't be enough. He needs both. This means its very finely balanced, and that the sweet spot where he can achieve both might not exist even
As of tonight with 10 days to go there is some subtle shifting on the 2-way and 4-way polls again. Clinton enjoys a RCP average lead nationally of 4.6% in the two way race, but this drops to 3.8 in the four way race. If you take a closer look, you'll notice that Gary Johnson's support has fallen from 9.2% in mid Sept, to 6.5% ten days ago, and has fallen again since and stands at 5.3% tonight. During the last week Trump has recieved a small bounce from 39.4% to 41.1%. A simple extraction of Johnson down 1.2% and Trump up 1.7% isn't too hard to make. Personally, I've always felt that the Libertarian voter tends to lean GOP before they lean Democrat, and we might be starting to see this happen. The libertarians are ripe for a classic third party squeeze as the race tightens and people abandon their protest posturing. If this happens, and if they return to their usual polling average of about 1-2%, then theere's still about 3-4% fluidity in this mix, of which two thirds will probably gravitate towards Trump
Dealing with the key states then
Florida - put simply Clinton can finish the whole race in the sunshine state. If Trump fails to win Florida the election is lost. He has no viable path left. There's a number of things about FL however that means it behaves differently. FL isn't really a redneck dixie state that you find further west. As has been flogged already, the latino vote is heavily influenced by Republican leaning Cubans, rather than Democrat leaning Mexicans. There is no compelling evidence to suggest that Cubans will vote in sympathy for Mexicans. There's also the issue of retired northerners bringing Democrat influences into the state too.
Now I think it's worth looking at the 4-way race in Florida, and the performance of the Libertarian party in particular. Nationally they stand at 5.3% tonight, but in FL where a vote might actually mean something, and which is probably a more mature market (voting has started) and they're much more keyed into the thing by virute of being the single biggest swing state, the Libertarians stand at 3% and the greens are less than 1% on the most recent poll. Clinton holds an average lead 0.4%, but two of the three most recent polls give Trump the lead. Clinton's RCP average lead really owes everything to two polls conducted 10 days ago that gave her the edge by 4% and 3%. When these drop off the sample, there is a fair prospect that Trump can regain the lead here, and especially as the polls will likely feature the recent FBI decision in them by then
This is really far too close to call though. If Trump stays on MAGA, and can keep his nose clean, I think he could well shade Florida
Nevada
This was a state I initially thought he'd lose, but he's confounded me. Clinton has a 1.7% lead on the four way race tonight, but this owes a lot to one poll that gave her a 7% margin. If you remove this as an outlier, her edge drops to 0.6%. The libertarians are averaging about 5.2%, albeit this also owes alot to an outlier (on the same poll as it happens) that gave them 10%. I expect this to be squeezed as people focus their minds on Nov 8th, and that Gary Johnson will get something like 2% in the end. There's probably about 2% to play with from this source. Again it'll be very close. Logic tells me that Hillary will win, maths tells me that Trump can get this back. I'll give it to orange face for now
Arizona
This should be Trump territory but he's conspired to make a mess of the state, not the least because of his relationship with John McCain. At the moment it's leaning Clinton, but I suspect Trump will ultimately carry it on the current wave. It was polled three times in early October which is when the Clinton lead emerged. Interestingly though, her own figures remained static. Hillary wasn't winning the state. Trump was losing it. Trump supporters were transferring to Gary Johnson. There was one particularly high vote for Jill Stein too who hit 4%, seemingly at the expense of Trump. How plausible is it that Trump protesters are switching to the Greens? Not very I'd suggest. I think it's a rogue poll
Johnson averaged 7% for those three polls. The most recent polls taken however has Johnson's support falling to 4% (down 3) and Stein's has also gone back to a more realistic 1% guess what? Trump's has increased by 4%. Unless Trump gets involved in another fall out with McCain, I suspect he can regain the lead in Arizona
Colorado
This was another state Trump's doing better in than I thought he would. Both Johnson and Stein are polling well here, suggesting that there is indeed plenty of noise in play still. There is clear recent evidence that the Libertarian vote is gravitating to Trump though if forced to decide. Clinton's three biggest leads in the state, all coincided with Johnson recording particularly high scores himself of 12%, 10% and 7%. On the most recent poll this has dropped to 5% as perhaps voters begin to concentrate a bit more, and when this has happened Clinton's lead has also fallen from an average of 7.25% to 2%. Stein's support (where Hillary might expect to pick votes up from in a squeeze) has evaporated to less than 1%, which would make me think any benefit Hillary gets from the greens is already in the most recent poll findings.
I suspect that party organisation on the ground could be the key in Colorado, and she is much better organised than him. Having said that, I also suspect that the most recent Remington poll is more accurate than the RCP average as it seems to be more realistic about the third party support. There's probably about 3% squeeze left to come out of the system, but Clinton's 2pt lead should just about be enough provided she doesn't suffer in the next week from the emails. She's got very little margin for a backlash. If just 1.5% of her supporters decide to sit it out, she could be in trouble, and unless she can take the heat out of the FBI, I think this will happen. This could go either way
North Carolina
This is where Trump has dropped the ball. This is a red state that she's had blue for some time now. Superior organisation and astute strategy has set her up to 'take one against the head'. I get the impression that the voters wanted to vote for Trump, but over the last month in particular they've come to realise they can't do. Clinton has recorded poll leads in 18 of the last 19 samples. The only time she fell behind before this was in the 9/11 pnuemonia scare. Now that was a blip, which might offer Trump some hope, as perhaps it shows that support for her is fluid, and perhaps North Carolinains might react to the email investigation, but I tend to think this will be mired in conjecture and heresay between now and then, and they won't make anything stick. I think she's going to carry NC
Pennsylvania
PA has proven a Republican's fools gold for a few cycles now. If she doesn't win North Carolina and also loses Florida, then Pennsylvania (combined with New Hampshire) can still back stop her. I think strategists under estimate the influence of Philadelphia, and also that some of the traditional blue collar support in places like Pittsburgh, Bethlehem, Allentown etc is still there. It hasn't reached West Virginian abandonment.
Utah
God knows. I wouldn't be shocked to see Hillary's supporters vote tactically here (it won't take that many). I think McMullin could spring a surprise. It will require this to be a spontaneously conscious decision though. If she's seen to encourage a tactical vote for the independent however (what could be painted as a dirty trick) then I think this will spur the natural massive Republican majority to vote for Trump, and Utah will go from toss-up to solid red within 24 hours. I've got a feeling that as Utah comes under the spotlight though, Republicans will probably come home - oh I don't know - it's really tough to work out. In a normal cycle its about the eaiest state in the union to call. Go with history I guess and say Trump will win
As things stand, Hillary Clinton can secure the election in the east with NC, PA and NH. She can lose the other swing states, and I suspect she probably will (I'm struggling with FL and CO admittedly) but have them just about going Trump at this stage. UT is a totally different ball game but doesn't affect the result, just the majority
Clinton 278
Trump 260