Neither candidate is conceding Colorado. Alaska Governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin will return to Colorado Monday [2], with appearances in Colorado Springs, Loveland, and Grand Junction. Her Democratic counterpart, Senator Joe Biden will campaign here on Tuesday and Wednesday, while John McCain is expected to return Friday. CNN now projects [3] that Senator Barack Obama has the electoral votes he needs to win the presidency even without Colorado. That means, according to CNN, that Republicans have to turn a big blue state red. Today, CNN reports [4]:

According to [the] latest analysis of the electoral map, only six states are up for grabs (Nevada, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida) and they were all won by President Bush in 2004. That means even if McCain were to go 6-for-6 in the current tossup states, he would still fall short of the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the White House.

Obama is telling supporters not to get over-confident [5], reminding them polls aren't always right, as demonstrated by his unexpected loss in the New Hampshire primary. Bottom line: Network analysts may believe it's over for McCain even if he wins Colorado, but both candidates are going to fight for our vote until the end. I think it's a smart move on both their parts. Anything can happen in 18 days, and despite record numbers in new voter registration, the election depends on turnout.