A new Quinnipiac battleground poll of Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan shows McCain gaining ground in key states -- esp. CO, MN -- apparently because voters respect his support for the surge, and agree with him on Iraq.
A lot of the polling was done pre-Maliki, so that could change things. But the results seem to show that pundits who thought an improving Iraq would not influence the race were wrong. McCain is making his point, and some voters are listening. From the WashPost:
"Asked whether they would prefer a 'fixed date' for withdrawal or to 'keep troops in Iraq until the situation is more stable,' majorities in all four states preferred the latter option despite the fact that similar majorities in each state say that America was wrong to go to war in Iraq.
"Those results suggest that while Obama's initial opposition to the war plays well with voters, his plan to remove troops from the country within 16 months of taking office as president is less well received."
Another shift: drilling. One in ten voters say they've changed their minds and now support offshore drilling -- just like McCain.