John McCain and Barack Obama in Nevada Dead Heat

Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (L) stands while Carly Fiorina, former chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, speaks during a campaign event in Warren, Michigan,January 12, 2008

The latest Mason-Dixon poll from the Las Vegas Review Journal has:

• John McCain – 44%

• Barack Obama – 42%

• Undecided – 14%

The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Key graphs:

• In another crucial demographic, Obama, 46, prevails among Hispanic voters, with 53 percent, but nearly one-fifth are undecided and McCain still draws 28 percent.

  Hispanics are likely to be targeted by both campaigns as a perceived swing vote group, Duffy said. McCain already has aired ads on Spanish-language radio in Nevada.

• Both candidates have staked their campaigns on their appeal to voters who aren’t registered with a political party. In that group, McCain polled markedly better than Obama, 43 percent to 32 percent.

  A larger proportion of independents, 25 percent, were undecided than any other demographic group in the poll.

  Pollster Coker said that with Democrats ahead in voter registration in Nevada and the national mood hostile to Republicans, McCain will have to hold on to his lead among independents in order to have a chance in the state.

  “This race is going to be a battle for independents, and right now, in the battle for independents, McCain is ahead,” he said.

Nevada like in 2000 and 2008 will be a major battleground state with five electoral votes up for grabs.

Should Barack Obama NOT chose Bill Richardson, the Hispanic Governor of New Mexico or Hillary Clinton as his Vice President, Flap predicts the Nevada Hispanic vote will flip over to McCain.

Alos, with the major foreclosure crisis in Clark County, independent voters will be less supportive of Democrat and Obama’s plan to raise taxes.

Advantage McCain…..