Today´s Polls: Obama gaining ground in traditional Republican states
Christian Church
October 15, 2008
Barack Obama has increased further in the polls in the last few days in what are traditional Republican states. These are states that in the last presidential election all voted solidly for George W. Bush. This election cycle, however, the McCain campaign is struggling to keep them in the red column. Those states are Florida, Virginia, Colorado, Missouri, and Georgia. Both Virginia and Georgia have traditionally voted Republican. But this election cycle, due primarily to the changing demographic in those states, they are leaning Democratic for the first time in decades. For example, both Virginia and Georgia have become increasingly urbanized while the educational levels among voters in those states have increased as well.
In the national general election, today´s CNN poll shows Obama ahead by 8 points. In the five traditional Republican states, here is what the same polls indicate:
In Colorado, Obama is ahead 51% to 47%. In Florida, Obama is ahead 51% to 46%. In Georgia, McCain is ahead 53% to 45%, but McCain´s lead in Georgia has been steadily decreasing. In Missouri, McCain is likewise ahead, but by only 1 percentage point: 49% to 48%. President Bush carried Missouri in the last presidential election by a larger margin of 7 points. McCain is loosing ground in Missouri. And in Virginia, Obama leads by a full 10 points at 54% to 43%. Virginia has not voted Democratic in over 40 years.
Other traditional Republican states are loosing ground to Obama, primarily because the Democrats have been able to significantly increase registrations in those states. Moreover, Democrats have been able to increase their numbers among young people, who tend to favor progressive candidates.
In the last two presidential elections, while President Bush won the Electoral College, both Al Gore and John Kerry won the nationwide popular votes by large margins. Thus, as far back as the year 2000, more Americans were registered as Democrats than as Republicans. And the number of Democratic Party registrations nationwide has increased even further. Moreover, Democrats have been able to increase significantly their registrations not only in traditional battleground states, but also in traditional Republican states. This has been done at the same time the GOP has taken those red states for granted.
Political analysts and experts have concluded that Republicans have been loosing registrations nationwide as more and more of the party´s fiscal conservatives leave the GOP to register as Independents and Decline to State. The move away from the Republican Party is due primarily to blame that voters attribute to Republicans: the economic crisis, illegal immigration, outsourcing of jobs overseas, the war in Iraq, and Congressional scandals.
The race for the presidency this year is further complicated by polls that suggest Americans are increasingly disturbed by incidents of racism and vitriol directed toward Barack Obama at GOP rallies. For example, at a recent McCain Palin campaign rally, attendees laughed and cajoled as a McCain supporter held up a toy monkey with an Obama sticker strapped across its head. He called the monkey "little Hussain." The McCain supporter later surreptitiously handed the toy monkey to a child he did not know as cameras inside the venue focused on him. At the same venue, Palin suggested that Senator Obama "pals around with terrorists" and is "unpatriotic." Palin´s statements have been followed by verbal attacks against Senator Obama. These attacks include calls by McCain supporters to have Obama "killed."
The McCain campaign has done little to curtail the attacks from the racist "fringe" elements of the Republican Party. It has been suggested that McCain and Palin have, instead, encouraged these incidents. Not a single member of the United States Congress is both black and Republican. All of the black members of the United States Congress are members of the Democratic Party. In order for a person to be elected to Congress, a person first must be nominated by their political party. Only Republicans vote in Republican Party primaries.
In the national general election, today´s CNN poll shows Obama ahead by 8 points. In the five traditional Republican states, here is what the same polls indicate:
In Colorado, Obama is ahead 51% to 47%. In Florida, Obama is ahead 51% to 46%. In Georgia, McCain is ahead 53% to 45%, but McCain´s lead in Georgia has been steadily decreasing. In Missouri, McCain is likewise ahead, but by only 1 percentage point: 49% to 48%. President Bush carried Missouri in the last presidential election by a larger margin of 7 points. McCain is loosing ground in Missouri. And in Virginia, Obama leads by a full 10 points at 54% to 43%. Virginia has not voted Democratic in over 40 years.
Other traditional Republican states are loosing ground to Obama, primarily because the Democrats have been able to significantly increase registrations in those states. Moreover, Democrats have been able to increase their numbers among young people, who tend to favor progressive candidates.
In the last two presidential elections, while President Bush won the Electoral College, both Al Gore and John Kerry won the nationwide popular votes by large margins. Thus, as far back as the year 2000, more Americans were registered as Democrats than as Republicans. And the number of Democratic Party registrations nationwide has increased even further. Moreover, Democrats have been able to increase significantly their registrations not only in traditional battleground states, but also in traditional Republican states. This has been done at the same time the GOP has taken those red states for granted.
Political analysts and experts have concluded that Republicans have been loosing registrations nationwide as more and more of the party´s fiscal conservatives leave the GOP to register as Independents and Decline to State. The move away from the Republican Party is due primarily to blame that voters attribute to Republicans: the economic crisis, illegal immigration, outsourcing of jobs overseas, the war in Iraq, and Congressional scandals.
The race for the presidency this year is further complicated by polls that suggest Americans are increasingly disturbed by incidents of racism and vitriol directed toward Barack Obama at GOP rallies. For example, at a recent McCain Palin campaign rally, attendees laughed and cajoled as a McCain supporter held up a toy monkey with an Obama sticker strapped across its head. He called the monkey "little Hussain." The McCain supporter later surreptitiously handed the toy monkey to a child he did not know as cameras inside the venue focused on him. At the same venue, Palin suggested that Senator Obama "pals around with terrorists" and is "unpatriotic." Palin´s statements have been followed by verbal attacks against Senator Obama. These attacks include calls by McCain supporters to have Obama "killed."
The McCain campaign has done little to curtail the attacks from the racist "fringe" elements of the Republican Party. It has been suggested that McCain and Palin have, instead, encouraged these incidents. Not a single member of the United States Congress is both black and Republican. All of the black members of the United States Congress are members of the Democratic Party. In order for a person to be elected to Congress, a person first must be nominated by their political party. Only Republicans vote in Republican Party primaries.
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