TIME.com: Kerry in a Straitjacket

Why things are so close? Klein is on the right track. Kerry needs to get the "are you better off than you were four years ago" and the "if you don't like what's going on in Iraq (or the "war" on terror) vote for me, if you like how things are going vote for the other guy" themes out there and in force. It's simple and relates directly to the what voters care about.

Looking around the Web at some of the poll stuff that is coming out, is that their are still a few states in play that you might not have expected. Check out what's happening in Arkansas, Tennessee, and to a much lesser extent, North Carolina. The numbers are getting close. However, I'm still not understanding what Bush's appeal in Ohio is yet. Is there something else?