How big is the presidential battleground?

One of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean’s visions for the Democratic Party was an aggressive push into “red state” America.

He spent millions of dollars rebuilding the Democratic infrastructure in states like North Dakota and Montana.

The gambit looked like a loser until Democrats stormed back into power in Congress, after fielding solid, well-funded candidates in districts where they had been marginalized.

So how about this year’s presidential race?

Some pundits — including NPR’s political guru Ken Rudin — say no.

“But here we are,” Rudin writes, “with 48 days to go, and the presidential election is once again focused on a very familiar list of states, just about the same from four years ago. The magic number of 270 electoral votes will be culled from these states.”

I actually think the political map is a lot more flexible than it was in 2000 or 2004.

Virginia is certainly in play for Democrats, an undeniable shift.

Obama is also highly competitive in Colorado. An argument can even be made that he’s pushed his way into contention in Indiana and North Carolina.

McCain, meanwhile, has pushed almost to par in the upper Midwest, making a race of it in states that were solidly Democratic: Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

There’s little doubt that on election night, a lot of attention will be focused once again on Florida and Ohio.

But unless one or the other candidate breaks open a big lead, the final outcome could easily rest in a new state — like, say, Nevada.

One final thought: Rudin lists a total of 14 states that could be in play right up to election day.

That large a playing field will be expensive and will strain even the best-funded campaign. Which means that the fundraising totals for McCain and Obama will play a big role in who becomes the next president.