The Big 5: Picking the States That Will Pick the President

• By Stuart Rothenberg
• Roll Call Contributing Writer
• July 17, 2008, Midnight

It’s far too soon to know whether the presidential contest will blow open into a laugher or remain competitive from now until Election Day. But if the race stays close until the end, a mere four or five states are likely to tell you whom the next occupant of the Oval Office will be.