Barack Obama and John McCain are both targeting Republican-leaning states, with Obama on the offense and McCain looking to defend his strongholds, writes Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Beyond Pennsylvania, the reality of the race is that Obama has multiple paths to reach the needed 270 electoral votes, and McCain’s options are few.

“State polls suggest that if everything breaks right for Obama, he might approach the 379 electoral votes that Bill Clinton amassed in 1996 when he won reelection against Bob Dole.

“In part because of his financial advantage, Obama is competitive in places that were off-limits to Democrats for years.”

Read the full story here.