Obama won 70% in the Orange County, NC primary!

[yardwork]

You might think that this is no big deal because Orange County, home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a reliably liberal community. But Orange County, NC is also home to many rural folk, white and black.

Jim Neal, openly gay white male local candidate for U.S. Senate, won only 39% among Democrats casting their votes in this primary in Orange County, NC. His opponent, moderate white female Kay Hagan, won 51%. If you think of that 39% for Neal as the "liberal stalwart" vote in Orange County and compare it to the 70% of voters who voted for Obama, you see the depth of Obama's appeal beyond liberals.

Likewise, the liberal white male candidate for governor, Richard Moore, won only 45% of the Democratic primary vote, compared to moderate white female candidate Bev Perdue. Compare support for white Democrat female Perdue (52%) with support from the same voters for white Democrat female Hillary Clinton (29%).

Think black people vote only for other black people? State representative candidate black male Moses Carey won only 34% of the vote compared to 66% for white female Ellie Kinnaird. Carey had widespread appeal among liberal whites (including me) in Chapel Hill; he got trounced by the white female incumbent.

It's clear that in Orange County voters of all types crowded to Obama. 70% to 29% is incredible.

[SaveAmerica]

1. Thanks for the numbers!! I'm white and I voted for Obama...

Yesterday when I was walking the streets for Obama, I spoke with an older black gentleman who said he was very upset with Hillary, that he had planned to vote for her until she and Bill starting saying the things they have been since the South Carolina primary. I told him I was glad to hear that because 'some people online' think that all black people support Obama because he's black. He said "If that were true, we would have never voted before now". Duh!! I hadn't thought of that. Barack Obama, he's for all of us!

[yardwork]

2. The local online news blogs have a lot of conservatives supporting Obama today.

Normally, the local online news blogs are a cess pool of right-wing comments. Today many of those same posters are supporting Obama and making fun of the few die-hards who are calling him "B. Hussein Obama." One of them wrote that "Obama has more sense than the other two put together." (I think this was a reference to Hillary and McCain.) Another one said that he was impressed with the way that Obama handled the minister issue. I am familiar with these poster's typical views, and they are freeper-ish.

It's clear that Obama has won over many white right-wingers here in NC. This could turn North Carolina blue in the fall.

[sonias]

3. Yea Orange county!

:woohoo:

Michelle looked stunning in that orange dress yesterday too.

Sonia