Red State support: Obama v. Clinton

[jefferson_dem]

Red State support: Obama v. Clinton

Posted: Saturday, January 12, 2008 3:26 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, Clinton, Obama

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
As noted earlier, Sen. Ben Nelson’s endorsement is Obama’s third Red State endorsement in as many days. This gives Obama a 3-2 edge over Clinton in Red State senatorial endorsements. Clinton has long held an advantage in total establishment support. Endorsements by senators, congressional representatives and governors are key as they can be indicative of super delegate support, which on the Democratic side, make up a significant portion of total delegates to the national convention.

So far, 18 of Clinton’s 80 gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional support have come from those in Red States. That’s 23 percent. She has two governors (Beebe-AR, Strickland-OH) and two senators (Bayh-IN, Pryor-AR). Of note, five of the 18 are from Arkansas, where her husband was governor, and four of the 18 are from Florida. So, half of her Red State support is from Arkansas and Florida. She also has support from Texas (3), Ohio (2) and one each from Indiana, Georgia, Iowa and Nevada.

Obama has 15 of 43 governors, senators and representatives from Red States (35 percent), including the three in the past three days: Nelson-NE, Napolitano-AZ and Johnson-SD. Of note, he now has as many governors (2-Kaine-VA, Napolitano-AZ) as Clinton and more senators (3-Conrad-ND, Johnson-SD, Nelson-NE) from Red States. His Red State support is also more spread out: two each from Georgia and Missouri, and one each from Virginia, Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Iowa, Colorado and Florida.

Here’s the full list of Red State endorsements for Clinton and Obama, per Hotline and First Read’s compilation:

CLINTON: (18 of 80, including 2 GOVs, 2 SENs, 14 Reps: 5 AR, 4 FL, 3 TX, 2 OH, 1 IN, 1 GA, 1 IA, 1 NV) (23%)
Gov. Mike Beebe (D-AR)
Gov. Ted Strickland (D-OH)
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR)
Rep. Shelley Berkeley (D-NV)
Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
Rep. Connie Brown (D-FL)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL)
Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR)
Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR)
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH)
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

OBAMA: (15 of 43, including 2 Govs, 3 Sens., 10 Reps: 2 GA, 2 MO, 1 VA, 1 AZ, 1 ND, 1 SD, 1 NE, 1 TN, 1 AL, 1 TX, 1 IA, 1 CO, 1 FL) (35%)
Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ)
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO)
Rep. William Clay (D-MO)
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)
Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL)
Rep. Al Green (D-TX)
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)
Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA)
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL)

NOTE: Our designation of Red States are states that voted for Bush in the 2004 general election.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/12/573435.aspx

[Sparkle]

1. We shouldn't be talking about red states/blue states per Obama.

We are the United States! And he's right!

[jefferson_dem]

2. Word.

However, in order to become that POTUS, you first have to win...at least one more red state than Gore and Kerry did.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Still need and electoral strategy......

and here's a newspaper to give us one.

Excellent to see that Obama can unite us better than Clinton can.

Unity means strength.

That's how things can get done!

[Dhalgren]

4. Yeah, right up until November, then he'll be wrong...

[FrenchieCat]

5. Why would he then be wrong?

Please share your theory.

Thank you.

[Dhalgren]

8. Well, I think that the hard Red States will remain so. I don't think

that Obama will win Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wyoming, North or South Dakota. I may be wrong - if Obama is the nominee, I hope that I am wrong. It is just that I have no faith in states and regions that have been traditionally racist, to change. Again, I hope I am wrong (though I don't think I will be)...

[cloudythescribbler]

6. Wow, did you do all this research yourself? It would be good to update it periodically

I would also be interested if someone compiled a list of important folk in Nevada, and a list of prominent Latino endorsements of HRC and of Obama.

"Red" states reflects a reality of political history. It is the POLARIZATION between not just red and blue states but what they represent, among ordinary people, the exploitation of wedge issue politics that Obama seems to be driving at; this is intertwined with unjustifiable political gridlock at the top.

Maybe I am over-reading this point, but I think that much of what Obama says is overly mechanically interpreted. (Very tendentiously sometimes, as in a recent post about whether Obama thinks gays are responsible for their own victimization -- wow what a distorted reading)

[Uben]

7. Obama can't win Ohio, that's a problem

If you can't win Ohio, you can't win. Clinton can and will win it. Per your list, Clinton has the endorsements of Ted Strickland and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. This is a major, major problem for Obama. Florida is another big one. Obama has one endorsement, albeit a good one in Wexler. Clinton has four endorsements from Florida and does much better with the over 60 crowd and with Hispanics. Without Fla. and Ohio, this election may very well go back to the republicans. That is a cold hard fact we cannot overlook.


If Obama wants to win, he'll have to make up some major ground in these two states. I don't see it happening.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Don't tell Obama what he "Can't " do....

cause that's your problem...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmUUYo9o9eg&feature=PlayList&p=B03F10C0072F4762&index=3