State of the race -- seven days out

Pollster.com has this breakdown on Electoral votes:

Democrat 306 (272 strong, 34 lean)

Republican 142 (129 strong, 13 lean)

Tossup 90

McCain (via Halperin) says they'll "fool the pundits."

The vindication (via Kos) of Howard Dean?

I recall it quite vividly, the bosses all huddled around a computer screen, this being the early days of Internet video, as Howard Dean let out his now infamous scream.

I was an intern at a newspaper in Seattle in 2004, and a bunch of middle-aged white dudes were all laughing at this geeky Vermont doctor who had the temerity to think he could play in the big leagues.

What a loser.

Dean stopped by a Democratic field office in Henderson last week, and to prep myself for the visit, I watched what’s known in political circles as

“The Scream.” It’s still funny.

But here’s the thing: Dean was right.

His hypothesis was simple: To be a national political party, you have to compete everywhere. It was called the “50 state strategy,” and it was unveiled in 2005.