Spin Cycle

We were skeptical about a round of Quinnipiac battleground polls this morning that showed up big for Obama. Now there's another round from CNN, showing the same thing:

Florida: Obama 51-47. Minnesota: Obama 54-43. Nevada: Obama 51-47. Missouri: Obama 49-48. Virginia: Obama 53-44. On top of Quinnipiac, which had Obama ahead by 8 in Florida and Ohio, and 15 in Pennsylvania.

Part of the reason for skepticism is that the national polls remain tight -- 4 or 5 points. The puzzler: How can Obama be pulling ahead -- sometimes by big margins -- in battleground states, when national polls remain tight?

We just saw Bill Schneider, CNN's analyst, offer an answer: There is no real national campaign. The ads, the rallies, the surrogates are all focused on the battleground states, so that's where the impact of shifts is felt earliest and most intensely.

But still: There is a national campaign, isn't there? It's on TV and in newspapers everywhere.