The Kerry campaign sought to expand the list of Southern battleground states beyond Florida and Arkansas. He began a surprising television buy in Louisiana in May and then picked John Edwards of NC in June. The Bush campaign responded effectively with ad buys and trips in both states. Now, the latest polls in each show an uptick in support for the Republican ticket, even as the Democrats rally in Boston. For example, a Survey USA poll taken this week for two NC television stations has Bush up by 7 percent. As long as Bush-Cheney pays attention, it should be able to maintain a relatively solid South — though, of course, the Kedwards strategy all along was at least to force the GOP to have to defend its turf.