As political thoughts turn toward the 2008 presidential election, there are rumblings that Pennsylvania is losing its status as one of the premier swing states.

After John Kerry's win in the commonwealth in 2004 made it four straight Democratic victories in the Keystone State, questions about Pennsylvania's place among the elite battleground states began to appear.

These questions were fueled in November when the state's voters played a pivotal role in propelling the Democratic Party into the majority in both the U.S. House and Senate.

No other state matched the commonwealth's contribution to the Democratic takeover on Capitol Hill, with Gov. Rendell's landslide victory and the Democrats' success in the state House further darkening the blue shade of Pennsylvania politics.

But hold those obituaries for the state's leading role in presidential elections. The vital signs remain strong for Pennsylvania's revival as a swing state in 2008. Here is my case:

Even with the gains made by Democrats in November, Pennsylvania remains one of the most politically balanced states.

Republicans lead Democrats by 140-139 among all federal- and state-level elected offices.

This remarkable parity reflects an underlying parity in the electorate, with registered Democrats only slightly outnumbering registered Republicans.

Even more telling are the self-identified ideological beliefs of the state's voters.

When leaving polling stations in November, 46 percent of the voters called themselves moderate, 29 percent said they were conservative, and 25 percent claimed to be liberal.

Pennsylvania's striking level of partisan balance takes on greater political importance when combined with the size of its population. It is one of the largest states that does not markedly tilt toward one party.

While California and New York appear safely Democratic and Texas seems securely Republican, Pennsylvania trails only Florida in combining large populations with party balance.

The commonwealth's 21 electoral votes make up the fifth-largest Electoral College prize.

In 2004, Kerry won Pennsylvania by just 2 percent of the vote. The sixth-tightest margin of all states, it was a reminder of how competitive the commonwealth's politics remain.

Despite the Democrats' win streak in Pennsylvania's recent presidential battles, it is important to remember that unless a state is dominated by one party, as Utah is, presidential elections are very much about the relationship a candidate shapes with voters in the middle.

It's not hard to imagine a scenario in 2008 where a likability-challenged Democrat such as Sen. Hillary Clinton leaves open the door in Pennsylvania for a more likable Republican opponent to make gains among the state's moderate voters.

Finally, a GOP win in Pennsylvania will require the party to draw lessons from the 2006 elections in the commonwealth.

The expansion of moderate political bastions in areas such as the Philadelphia suburbs and the Lehigh Valley make it extremely difficult for a right-wing candidate to succeed statewide.

Rick Santorum's trouncing at the hands of moderate Democrat Bob Casey Jr. serves as a guidepost for the Republicans as they head toward 2008.

If a mainstream candidate such as Rudy Giuliani can survive the Republican primaries, he may find fertile ground in Pennsylvania's hills, valleys, and McMansion-laden suburbs.

While it is obvious that Democrats had great success in Pennsylvania during the midterm elections, any claim that it has become a safe "blue" state for them would be inaccurate.

The Keystone State remains one of the great electoral treasures in presidential races and undoubtedly will be among the most hard-fought prizes in the 2008 campaign for the White House.

Democrats can't afford to take the commonwealth for granted because no Democrat has won the White House without Pennsylvania since Harry Truman's upset victory in 1948.

Conversely, while President Bush was elected without winning Pennsylvania, the GOP can practically ensure its continued control of the executive branch by gaining Pennsylvania.