It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the day after losing West Virginia by 40 points, Barack Obama picked up the endorsement of John Edwards. Former Sen. Edwards represents the kind of voters that Obama really needs to win — and didn’t in West Virginia. Blue collar workers from former industrial strongholds have proven that they won’t vote for Obama. The mainstream media likes to paint this reluctance as racism. I’m sure that has something to do with it, but I think it’s probably got a lot more with Obama’s image as an elitist.

What’s clear is that Obama’s problems in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio spell real electoral headaches for the Democrats. These are places that Democrats MUST win if they want a President Obama.

If McCain can energize those Rust Belt voters who haven’t responded well to Obama, then the Democrats are seriously on the ropes. If Edwards is on the ticket with Obama, then that might put the Tar Heel in play, but I wouldn’t count on it.

On the other side, McCain really needs to secure places like Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. A case could be made that having a Mitt Romney on the ticket would be the kind of move that would keep conservatives in the fold, while also strengthening McCain’s chances in Michigan and the mountain west states.

Regardless of the map today, Obama needs to find a way to identify with blue collar white voters. So far, that’s been his biggest liability.