Publicly, neither candidate will admit that they are giving up on any battleground states. But as the campaigns begin the seven-week sprint to the finish, the way each side is spending its money suggests the number of paths Romney can take to get to 270 electoral votes is shrinking.

Between Sept. 11 and Sept. 17, the Romney campaign is spending just over $8 million on television ads. Obama’s campaign is spending $8.2 million this week. The spending is concentrated in nine battleground states — Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. This reflects Republicans are giving up on hopes of winning Michigan and Pennsylvania.