A year from now, a new president

...and probably a Democrat.

Second post and I'm already predicting the outcome of the election.

Well, based on the simple fact that Republicans have uglied themselves over the last four years with the general public, very hard to say they will steal away any new states (as it stands) from the Dems, and with that in mind, the Dems have free reign to pick off a few states. I feel it may still be close, but as of January 20 2008- 1 year to the day before a new prez is sworn in, this is how I think things will shake out in November:

Florida stays Republican, part in thanks to the shifting demographics and increased registrations of Reps in the pan-handle, north Florida, and the I-4 corridor. Also helps that Democrats angered Floridians by removing their delegates in the nomination process just because the gov of Florida wanted to bump the state up in the cycle. Very foolish for them to do, though this probably wont influence the final outcome much in November.
New Mexico swings Republican, thanks mostly to immigration. Polls of the top 3 republican candidates show them winning narrowly-to-strongly here over either of the two major Democratic contenders, I think its a safe win for the GOP this year.
Missouri, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada barely swing Republican, despite Democratic gains in the last 3 states. Clinton/Obama both show losing to all the top Republicans right now in those three states. Missouri is harder to predict due to irregular precinct closing times, but I feel the state has trended comfortably Republican in the last 8 years despite Bush's bumbling campainging and actions as prez, so I feel its safe.
Minnesota is hardly a swing state- it didnt even vote for Reagan when everyone else got the message. This year will be no different, and this "swing state" firmly swings left.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oregon, Michigan, and Wisconsin are by definition swing, but as inferred before, it will be near-impossible for the GOP to steal these faintly blue states away this time around. These all fall into the Blue column in November.
Now heres where the coffin nails come from for the GOP:
Iowa and New Hampshire both swing states that have gone to Bush at one election or the other, but as the primaries proved, there is a far more active Democratic base this year in these states to keep these for the Democrats. Worse, in New Hampshire, Independents are trending heavily Democratic, making a GOP victory there a dream. Shame too, because these two states would give the GOP a 270-268 victory over the Democrats, the narrowist ever in the history of these two parties, beating out the 2000 squeaker of 271. Bigger shame that the GOP will be losing:
Ohio, the biggest nail in the coffin for the GOP. Comfortably GOP in 2000, barely so in 2004 over a constant back and forth in the polls, this state, with high unemployment and higher disatisfaction in polls for GOP candidates, is firmly falling in Democrat hands. John McCain shows barely beating either major dem here by 1-2 points, but that can change at a moments notice, and he isnt the set frontrunner yet.

The Republicans have their work cut out for them in 2008.
Competitively, it might be best to put the most conservative, constructionist candidate they can, lose in a close race, and rebuild their coalition in time to take back the Congress in 2010 and the White House in 2012.