Posted on 11/05/2008 5:23:01 PM PST by Impy
Chicago Democrat Barack Obama did what at one time seemed politically impossible: win throughout the suburban region long considered home base for the GOP.
In DuPage County, where Republicans for decades have counted on strong turnout to boost the GOP ticket, Obama won 54 percent of the vote with 99 percent of the precincts in. To put Obama's early, unofficial total in DuPage County in perspective, his more than 224,000 votes there are nearly as many votes as Ronald Reagan received there in his 1984 landslide over Democrat Walter Mondale.
Not only are Obama's votes the most a Democrat has ever received in Dupage, it's within a couple thousand votes of being the most votes any presidential candidate has received there.
Similar tales of turnout for Obama were being told across suburban election offices.
In Kane County, 52 percent of voters sided with Obama.
Will County's Obama turnout was nearly 56 percent.
Suburban Cook County voters turned out nearly 2:1 for Obama, who had more than 66 percent of the vote.
Obama won more than 59 percent of the unofficial vote in Lake County, becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to win there since Bill Clinton's razor's edge win over Republican Bob Dole in 1996.
Obama tallied nearly 52 percent of the vote in McHenry County to John McCain's 46 percent. In comparison, this county delivered more than 76 percent of its vote for Reagan back in 1984 and has constantly delivered consistent margins for Republicans until this election.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailyherald.com ...
Talking to some of my fairly well off golf club members,
many (wrongly) blamed George Bush for the horrendous losses
in their stock portfolio’s. They assumed (again wrongly) that
Iraq war had a lot to do for the financial debacle.
So they would have voted for Genghis Khan if he was the nominee by the democrats. Sad but true.
But it confirms one thing, people vote pocket book issues.
Again, in my opinion Bush should not be blamed for the whole
mess but as president, the buck stops there.
The silver lining here is that if Obama is successful in getting through his socialist agenda, GOP prospects will look bright again in 2010 & 2012.
I have two words: MID-TERM ELECTIONS!
I think its less that he ‘won’ the suburbs, but that the corruption in the republican party caused the voters to bail on them.
>> For the first time in my life I can say, “I AM NO LONGER PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN.”
If your child failed you, would you say you’re no longer proud to be Father?
People in upscale suburbs are well-educated managers and professionals. They were willing to vote for the jocks and rustics that Republicans seem to like to put up for a period of time, but that time has passed. Bush’s incompetence certainly didn’t help.
It has gotten to the point literally doesn’t matter what Obama’s ideology is — they just can’t imagine how he couldn’t be a more competent leader than McCain. And while McCain had some mental muscle beneath his (literal) fighter pilot exterior, Palin was pure provocation in a good-looking package. I know a few people who look with serious regret on the Obama tax increases they face but became beyond all persuasion by McCain when he picked for his VP someone who was far less qualified for the Presidency than the typical mid-level partner at a law firm.
If it ever was unclear, it should be clear now that people who match Mitt Romney’s profile of obvious intellectual seriousness and capability are the only hope for restoring our majorities. Hopefully it can be people more orthodox conservative than Mitt for the most part, but that has to be the idea. It’s time for the honors students to drive the bus and for the frat boys to mind the keg.
I don’t think he imagined he’d get the nomination, let alone win the Presidency, this time out.
Your thoughts mirror mine. I have believed for some time that he would get into office, and then ask nervously "OK, what do I do now."
He has NO EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE.
He is just a jaw-boner, philosophizing over nuances.
His participation in the Annenburg Project which produced NO DISCERNABLE RESULTS FOR $100 million shows what he is capable of. Will he even know how to delegate and manage a team ?
Don't point to his campaign, the look on his face last night indicates that he is exhausted. His low energy levels were commented on negatively, in comparison to McCain.
He took a couple of weeks off in the summer, while McCain did not.
I don't think he really knows how to work hard and under deadline.
He has never produced anything under those circumstances, least of all his books.
I ALSO feel some kind of “numbness” today. I can’t really explain it. I KNOW what has happened, and what will happen soon. But for some reason, I have NOT “gone to pieces” about it, as I did in ‘92 when Bill won. and believe me, I would LOVE to have Bill in office again, instead of Hussein!!
At the shop I work at this morning, I was greeted by a BUNCH of Obama posters on the door and window. One had a picture of an elephant and under it, it said”not this time”, and the “O’ symbol under that. Another had the “one way” arrow, pointing towards the sky, (which is usually reserved for Christ) and it had the “O symbol under it. And of course, there were several “yes we can” banners. The owners daughter had put them there for ME, no doubt, to “rub salt in the wound” some more.
Still......I am still in the “numb” mode. I have done no crying, or such. I do not know why. I know several people, besides the boss and her WHOLE family, that most likely voted for “the one”. Nothing I could do or say, would persuade them. My family is in the likewise “numb” mode.
Tomorrow, I will be seeing my best friend, who also does my hair. I WAS thinking she was an O fan, as she did NOT want to talk about politics, but RIGHT before the election, (a WEEK before) she sent me an email about O being a Muslim, and possibly being the Antichrist and , and how she felt the American people must be “totally stupid” to elect an extremist muslim for president, and now, I KNOW she and I are “on the same side” . We may “cry on each other’s shoulders” tomorrow night. I KNOW... I WILL get out of the “numb’ mode, sooner or later.
This is something I’ve noted before. Obama’s biggest gains over previous Democrat candidates have been among wealthy voters. The wealthy also trended Democrat in a big way in 2006.
“The Blues move into Red territory to escape high taxes and fees. But they bring their stupid ideology with them — which creates high taxes and fees where ever they move.”
The same thing has happened in the Rocky Mountain states, especially Nevada.
I still want to know how much of the GOP base supported Obama? I was under the impression we would be able to count on 95% support. Goess I was wrong,or else the base didn’t show up in full force.
Anyone have any stats on this?
They won the election, and now have the unchecked power to dig America's grave. We don't have to grab shovels and help them. We'll be busy enough shoveling away all the s*** they're shoveling on us.
"Not until America gives black people reparations." "Where's the 40 acres and a mule" etc etc. I seriously doubt that will stop.
That is no way to act. We need to come together as a country now, both democrats and Republicans and give the new President the same respect they gave Bush for the past 8 years. [sarcasm off]
thanks, bfl
Dear pastor, still be proud to be an American. You just have fight the socialists who want to "fundamentally" change the country.
Illinois was a GOP state not that long ago. There seems to be a lot of people voting Dem consistently in that state. Sad. The electorate is terribly misinformed these days.
There are a lot of people in this country voting against their own interests these days. Michigan and California voters must be somewhat masochistic because they keep voting in the same people while languishing in recession. Illinois is not far behind.
“Our 16th and arguably our BEST President”
First income tax.
You are right, obviously Berry O connects with the morons, they eat up his BS and “image”.
The north is not the south.
Southern burbs are the strongest GOP areas.
Northern burbs are increasingly liberal and vote against their economic interests.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.