Electoral college: Obama playing defense in essential BLUE states

The tide has certainly turned since 2008. Forget about winning toss-up states -- according to many reports, Barack Obama is now having to play defense in traditionally blue states. Take, for instance, Oregon:

President Barack Obama holds a relatively narrow lead of six points over Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Oregon, according to a new poll conducted for The Oregonian.

Obama's lead is considerably smaller than his margin of victory in Oregon four years ago and is a sign of how tight the presidential race has become across the nation.

The Romney-Ryan camp is also making significant inroads in Pennsylvania and Minnesota, forcing the Obama camp to divert funds away from other key battlegrounds, like Ohio.

TIME magazine's Mark Halperin appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe this morning to announce the significant shift in political dynamics.  While we can't say for sure who will win on election say, one thing is certain: President Obama is now playing defense in BLUE states.

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