Dean beats Bush by winning Florida--recent poll shows it doable

[CMT]

Howard Dean could beat Bush by winning in Florida and a recent poll indicates it can be done.

First, lets assume Dean wins all the Gore states, but with redistricting that will only give him 261 electoral votes or 9 less than a majority.

Now lets assume that Dean chooses Senator Bob Graham of Florida as his running mate. Graham has great popularity in Florida and has been highly critical of Bush on national security issues. I think it would be an awesome ticket.

Now the latest Florida poll indicates that even without someone like Graham on the ticket that Dean is within striking distance of Bush in the Sunshine state.

Bush: 49%
Dean: 41%

(for those wondering Dean and Clark equally do best aganist Bush in Florida--Clark is behind Bush 48-40. Gep runs 11-points behind, Kerry 13-points, and Edwards 18-points behind).

Florida has 27 electoral votes and I think a Dean/Graham ticket could deliver them and Dean would have 288 electoral votes if he held the Gore states--actually I think Dean would also win West Virginia for an additional five electoral votes.

poll can be linked here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=96295