Daily Kos: Obama leading in Iowa, Wisconsin

[smoogatz]

If that ain't the heartland, folks, I don't know what is. So much for the "Applebee's Salad Bar" theory. Either Obama—the tall, skinny, black Democrat— is perceived as more of a "regular guy" than short-n-grumpy "who cares when they come home" Republican McCain, OR maybe parts of the midwest have actually moved past giving a fuck about the politics of regular guyism, OR the whole regular guy thing was bullshit from the get. I suspect all three are true in varying degrees.

[eissa]

1. I'm trying not to be too optimistic, but

I really feel we got this in the bag. I think we'll handily win every state we won in '04 (although Pennsylvania is questionable), PLUS New Mexico, Virginia and possibly North Carolina.

[Bullet1987]

2. Ohio and Florida are still causes for concern..

but with Obama looking good in these other states, it may not matter.

[smoogatz]

3. Northern Ohio will turn out HUGE for Obama.

Sure, the rural southeastern part of the state is still wingnut-land, but it's relatively thinly populated. Plus, Ohio has a Dem governor and Secretary of State now, so no vote-flipping, roll purging, vote-caging, disenfranchising bullshit this time around.