The stable red / blue pattern may dissipate with the 2008 election. Each party will be able to rely on certain states where they have been successful in the past. However, many states where the vote was close in the last election will be even more competitive this year. The margin of victory for the popular vote in 2004 was less than five percent in most of the battleground states, and in many it was less than two percent. Both parties are going to focus on these states to try to shift the pattern of the past two elections. Each candidate will need to reach out to different groups within these states in order to win them.

Both candidates will strive to appeal to voters on a range of issues, from jobs and the economy to the war in Iraq. As was seen in the primaries in these states, the voting will often be close and new approaches to gaining independent voters, who are not affiliated with either party, will be important. Republican candidate John McCain's reputation as an independent Republican will be used to sway voters, while Democratic candidate Barack Obama will likely use his message of change to win independents unhappy with the current direction of the country.

You can click on each state in this interactive map to get a quick snapshot of its demographics and voter turnout from the U.S. Census website. Each party will employ different strategies for winning over these groups of voters.