Though his campaign trails those of the top Republican candidates in polls and money, John McCain is declaring victory a year early.

Here's part of his campaign's view of how it plays out, which they wrote in the style of a news article dated Nov. 5, 2008:

"Republican Senator John McCain was elected president last evening, defeating Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic nominee. McCain's victory came by winning the 'red' states that supported President Bush in 2004, while also winning independents to capture the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota."

The "story" goes on to say McCain focused on national security and cutting spending, and predicts voters will reject Clinton's health care plan. It also says that only McCain can appeal to swing voters in Midwestern states — a claim Rudy Giuliani would certainly challenge.

Of course, the "story" leaves out McCain's bigger challenge: winning the Republican nomination. And absent from McCain's keys to victory is immigration — the issue the other top-tier Republican candidates are driving at Democrats right now.

— Stephen Dinan, national political reporter, The Washington Times