Oklahoma --- new voters - could it possibly turn BLUE?

[Tesibria]

ok - for some reason - I can't get into the original article, but found this posted in freeperville:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1260683/posts

More than 80,000 Oklahomans registered to vote in Tuesday's presidential election during the eight days before registration closed Oct. 8, a state election official said Wednesday. Registered voters in Oklahoma

Democrats: 1,102,423
Republicans: 817,771

...?? could it be ??

[juslikagrzly]

1. As an Oklahoman

that would absolutely surprise the crap out of me. Make me extremely happy of course, but very surprised!

[cynatnite]

3. I went to school in Oklahoma

And it would be great news! Got my fingers crossed for all the Okies!

[LoverOfLiberty]

2. I would say no

but then no one saw the Reagan landslide in 1980.

[AlinPA]

4. No. It can't be. Maybe for a local race, not for president. Too many

votes around "God,Guns and Gays".

[sonicx]

5. many are conservative, i'm guessing

[RoyGBiv]

6. I would die of a heart attack ...

"Democrats" in Oklahoma aren't necessarily Democrats as much of the rest of the country thinks of them. The party here is extremely weak and uninvolved and not even very sure of itself. I'll mention this as an example and because it pissed me off so much at the time: Back in '88, the head of my county Democratic Party refused to support Dukakis. She told a group of College Democrats, while I was in attendance, that if we wanted signs, stickers, etc., we'd need to ask the DNC for them.

Anyway, no, it won't go blue. We're only hoping for Shrub getting less than 60% and pinning our hopes at redemption in the national eye by electing Brad Carson to the US Senate.

[msongs]

7. Poor Judd is dead...........

and Curly cain't save ever-body :-)

Msongs
Riverside CA

[Stephanjnj]

13. All or Nuthin'

As far as a state's electoral votes go, that is. And (unfortunately) nuthin's what we'll get from OK.

[RoyGBiv]

14. A Senator

You might get a Democratic Senator, which is something.

[lady raven]

19. weeeeeell

He's a fake Democrat.

[aldian159]

21. A fake Democrat

is far better than a real Republican.

[lanparty]

27. I'd prefer a John McCain ...

... to a Zell Miller !!!!

[RoyGBiv]

23. I'm so sick of that garbage ...

He's a typical Oklahoma Democrat, which means he is far more conservative than the vast majority of people on DU. I didn't realize we were now defining the party by one aspect of its membership.

But, if you would take the time to learn something about him, the differences between him and Coburn and most Republicans are vast and clear.

Besides, as I have been saying for a long, long time, the point of this is Senate leadership. We need Democrats to gain it, fake Dems, "true" Dems, buzzed Dems, astral Dems ... I don't care. Senate leadership is incredibly important.

[Firespirit]

8. Don't bet the house on it

We're talking 1984 Reagan landslide redux if that happens.

However... the local DP here in MS, in my "purple" county, says that they are fully expecting Kerry to get 45 percent of the vote here, as opposed to 40 percent for Gore.

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'll say it. I don't believe in jinxing. By 2008, there are going to be MANY swing states that were formerly solid red, and there is a decent chance that MS will be one of them. Kerry will be a terrific president, and it'll only enhance the trend that we are seeing now.

OK may go blue in 2008. :)

[elperromagico]

9. Oklahoma's had more Dems than Reps for a while.

Problem is, those Dems vote for Republicans like Bush, Nickles, and Inhofe.

Oklahoma might come our way in about 20 years. I don't see it happening this time.

[Reciprocity]

10. Maybe not this year.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. I have no hope for my native land Texas going blue.

[Awsi Dooger]

11. We have a 25% chance to win Oklahoma!!!!

According to the most respected cable TV annointed political oddsmaker Ron Faucheux, who has hit over 98% of his political predictions since forever. http://www.campaignline.com/oddsmaker/odds.cfm

Maybe I should mention Faucheux is a certified laughingstock among serious political bettors. Anyone with two functioning brain cells could retire simply by wagering on his odds alone. He probably would make the New England Patriots a 60% favorite to defeat the male cheerleading squad from Yale.

According to Faucheux, Kerry has a 25% possibility in Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Kerry has an even better chance in Kentucky and Montana at 33% each and 40% in Tennessee.

Bush has 33% chance in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York and Vermont. Wait, it gets better: Bush has a 45% shot in Hawaii, 48% chance in Maine, 47% in New Jersey, 49% in Washington.

My first DU post in fall 2002 was titled "Ignore those ridiculous odds" when someone touted Faucheux's betting line on the midterm elections. If anything, he has gotten remarkably worse.

[salib]

12. Hey, if we can take Texas...

And we are working HARD AS HELL at it, then you can take Oklahoma.

[Doohickie]

15. Amen, Holland!

[RoyGBiv]

16. One thing I forgot to mention ...

I have no link because I haven't seen it in print.

But, one of the local news stations mentioned last night that early voting in Oklahoma had increased dramatically this year. One of the specific areas mentioned received around 2000 ballots, whereas in the last race, that same area at the same time had received about 100.

I don't know the cause of this increase. I'm sure there are multiple causes, one of them being the state lottery question on the ballot this year. But, it is encouraging. Turnout in OK has always been a problem, and since the DNC has pretty much written off the state as worthless -- not even one of our Democratic challenger running neck-in-neck with the Republican incumbent is getting party funds -- it's hard to know what's motivating it.

[lady raven]

17. this is so encouraging, but...

Oklahoma has had more registered Democrats for YEARS, and we've outnumbered them by a HUGE margin.

Either Okie Democrats don't vote, or they vote Republican.

We'll see... and pray.

I know of two people (myself and the Mister) who have already voted Democrat in OK.

[lady raven]

18. dupe

sorry about that,

[RummyTheDummy]

20. Looking at those numbers

It seems like the Dems really didn't gain a whole lot of new voters while Repug registrtion grew more. I think Okie. Dems have always been over a million. Republicans, last number I saw before this, were in the low 700 thousand range.

Zero chance we go blue here, unfortunately.

[RoyGBiv]

22. Lot of people die here ...

Seriously. Younger people leave, old people stay and die, and it's the older generation that tended to be registered Democrat from long habit yet vote Republican.

The demographics are changing a bit, but it's hard to see which way it will go. There's been a large influx of latinos since 2000, and those who can vote are voting Dem.

It'll be interesting. No chance in hell (Oklahoma ... same thing) that we'll go blue, but I'm hoping from some interesting numbers that might shed some light on which way the wind is blowing.

[RedEarth]

24. I live in OK and there is no way Kerry will take the state

Even though we made some progress and elected a dem governor two years ago, bush will take OK by at least 20%....makes me sick, but that's the reality. It's also the reason I have spent hours calling people in swing states, so at least I feel like I've made some difference.

[OnionPatch]

25. What about Independents?

Maybe a lot of them vote Republican.

[LondonReign2]

26. Sadly, no.

Utah, OK, Wyoming...last to turn Blue