Steve Kraske of the Kansas City Star writes:

How much would Barack Obama love to win Missouri?

Let us count the staffers... 148, 149, yes, 150...

The Democrat's campaign said Tuesday it is tripling its paid staff - to an unprecedented 150 workers, who will fan out from 30 field offices across the state, from West Plains to Maryville.

"It's unheard of," veteran Democratic worker Woody Overton of Kansas City said of the effort and expenditure.

"It's unbelievable."

"Desperate" is the adjective John McCain's camp uses.

"When you feel like you have to put that many people in the state to cover it, means you think you're in trouble and you have to have a surge," said Jack Jackson, McCain's Missouri co-chairman.

Recent polls indicate the race in Missouri is close.

There are only two recent public polls in Missouri, both taken in June, one showing Obama leading by a single point and one showing McCain ahead by seven.

Missouri is one of those states that can be characterized as "not a must win but a can't lose" for Obama. In other words, Obama can probably lose Missouri and still win the White House, but if he wins Missouri in November its almost impossible to see how he isn't elected President.

Game it out for yourself on the RCP Electoral Count page.