How did Obama win 80% of Idaho?

[XemaSab]

:shrug:

[IDemo]

1. Americans are ready for change after 7 years? Imagine what it's been like here

We've been swimming in a sea of red state absurdity for 25 years, with the likes of Sen. Steve Symms, Helen (Black HEE-licopters) Chenoweth, and Bill Sali. Not to mention giving Raygun and Bush both some of their highest support.

As to why Obama, and not Clinton? Try 50 state strategy - we actually seem to have mattered to Obama. Obama campaign offices: 5, Clinton campaign offices: 0.

There was great organization by the Idaho Obama people, and a rally 3 days before Super Tuesday with 14,000+ people on a 25 degree morning (with an overflow crowd of 2,000). The largest single caucus event in US history was held in Boise on Super Tuesday, with 8,300 people (again, with about 2,000 of them huddled outside in cold weather). The caucus was basically a second Obama rally, sans Barack.

See the video of Boise mayor Dave Bieter speaking for Obama. He begins - "Ladies and gentlemen, isn't it nice to be among friends?" You have to have lived here for the past 25 years to fully appreciate the cheer that followed. I haven't had this kind of optimism about Idaho politics since the days of Frank Church. It's been way, way too long. It's time for a change.

Fired up!

Boise Mayor Bieter in support of Obama at Idaho Caucus

Barack Obama visits Boise

[Major Hogwash]

2. Hillary has never even been to Idaho.

Not as a candidate nor as a First Lady.

We don't exist as far as she is concerned.

One of the problems the DLC has had for almost 20 years is ignoring the West and the specific issues that concern Western states.
They focused on California, but that's about it.

Dr. Howard Dean recognized that fact when he ran for President in 2004.
He came out here on an unplanned stop at the Boise airport in the summer of 2003 with about a 5 hour notice. Over 3000 sweaty Democrats showed up in 103º weather on the tarmac at the airport and screamed our lungs out when prompted by one of the people who met Dr. Dean at the airport. Dean was supposed to go to Pocatello that day, but his trip was diverted to Boise instead for some reason. He said he thought that maybe 300 people would meet him here, but not 3000. He was so surprised he promised to come back.

And he did.
Dean was the first Democratic candidate to come to Idaho to campaign in years and years.
He said that this reaction to his visit, going to states that had been ignored by the Democratic party for years, convinced him that people all over this country were hungry for change, eager to have a Democrat in the White House, and that it was a myth that there are "blue" states and "red" states.

We were busting ass for Kerry in 2004 and although Kerry didn't carry the state, we are having a hard time finding people who will admit they voted for Bush in 2004 nowadays.

We were against the Iraq War in 2004, we are against the war now even moreso.
We are determined to end that damned war.

Hillary didn't even open an office here, or so I am told.
It wasn't even close after Obama visited here before our caucus.
His speech here was electrifying.
The energy was palpable, you could almost reach out and grab a handful of it.
It was unreal.

Obama is a very special kind of man.
I have never seen anyone speak like he did in my lifetime.
I was too young to get involved with politics when RFK was running for office, but I imagine the feeling, the energy, and the hope that was the essence of RFK's campaign, was a lot like Obama's campaign is now.

[Vanje]

3. Idaho loves Obama

despite the "white working class belongs to Hillary" idea.