But small cracks in the fortress have emerged. After early uncertainty, Gore appears to have regained a comfortable edge in Maine. But he did not reverse the current and this year the tide is running high again. Georgia, which went for Clinton in 1992 but Dole in 1996, seems secure for Bush. Bush also appears to have a lock on Kentucky, which Clinton narrowly carried twice.
Republicans feel confident about Louisiana and both sides put Arkansas on the knife's edge.
Then there's Tennessee. But Republicans maintain their private polling this week shows Bush leading in the state, and Democrats acknowledge it's too tight for comfort. The great exception to this pattern is Florida . If Gore swipes Florida's 25 electoral votes, he would be able to survive more than a few unexpected defections in other states Clinton carried. But Democrats will surely feel more confident if they head into election day knowing that Gore has secured enough of his base elsewhere that he doesn't need to capture Florida to win.