POLL: Which red-to-blue electoral college state was the most satisfying?

[democrattotheend]

Personally, I am really torn between Florida, because of 2000, Ohio, because of 2004, Virginia, because I live there, and Indiana because I wrote a blog post a year and a half ago about how it could be in play (along with Virginia and Montana) and someone asked me if I wrote it while on crack. So other people weigh in: of all the states Obama won that Kerry lost, which was the most satisfying?

[Coexist]

1. Florida. redemption

[darius15]

2. Any of those we havent won since 1964. Namely, IN,VA, NC, NE-02.

[Ediacara]

3. I can't decide between Ohio and Florida

After 2000 and 2004 getting both of them had me jumping up and down cheering. The rest of 'em are icing on the cake.

[Smuckies]

4. Florida

:9

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

5. All of them...

I am in complete glee that they all went blue.

[LeahD]

6. NM.....because I knocked on doors, and.........

I didn't know if I could bear to live in a state that didn't turn blue in '08.

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. Florida

For overcoming Bush Crime Family corruption, and for the third generation Miami Cubans who said "not this time" to the Republican party.

Honorable mention to Indiana and Ohio

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. VA for sure. I saw it as the heart of Obama's 50 state strategy, its linchpin in the South.

Also, since I'm from the area, it was personal to me. Being from Maryland, I never had any worries that Maryland would represent for Obama in either primaries or GE.

VA is my happiest and proudest moment from election night. Especially since it put us in the position that the West Coast/HI came down like a hammer McCain and Palin and put them out of our misery.

[Cali_Democrat]

14. Agreed. n/t

[Nevernose]

9. Nevada's the only state that mattered

I couldn't influence the voters anywhere else. In Nevada, though, I was like a GOTV machine hellbent and driven to spread the word about Barack Obama.



Like this guy, except fat and slightly hungover.

[nolabels]

72. Yea, i like Nevada too, the blue push from the left side is getting stronger

I remember twenty years ago when Nevada was scarlet red :thumbsup:

[chappydog26]

10. Definitely FL n/t

[DinahMoeHum]

11. North Carolina and Virginia: the "Tidewater South" breaking off

from the so-called "solid South"

:kick::kick::kick:

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. Indiana 'cause I have RW relatives there and .....

... because it was absolutely unfathomable to me that such blood red state ( it's usually about 2 to 1 GOP in nat'l elections) would ever vote for Obama.

[quaker bill]

13. Florida

because i live there.

[SteveG]

15. This is hard

I chose Florida since it was stolen in 2000. But I think in many ways it's a tie between Indiana and North Carolina. They are true wins, while Florida is a win because they couldn't steal enough votes this time (like Ohio).

[POAS]

16. Easy for me---OHIO

I played a small part here in both 2004 and 2008. 2008 is redemption for OHIO 2004.

[democrattotheend]

18. I was afraid to go to Ohio this year

Because I think I jinxed it for Kerry and I jinxed it for Obama in the primaries.

[POAS]

21. If it was a jinx

you had plenty of help.

Truth is Ohio has been deeply red and bigoted. It took an extraordinary candidate and an extraordinary effort coupled with terrible economic conditions to begin changing Ohio.

[Kahuna]

17. I would love to say NC, but I've got to go with FL. That one rocks! nt

[scaryadam]

19. Colorado... because the 4th district finally knocked out the ultra-bigot Marilyn Musgrave.

She is an absolute demon woman.

[backscatter712]

34. Amen to that.

Musgrave's like Sarah Palin with blonde hair. I absolutely cannot stand her. I'm so glad to see her fired!

I also voted Colorado, but I'm a bit biased - I live in Colorado and I busted my butt with the Obama Campaign to turn my state blue.

[fizzgig]

82. i'm with you

i've lived here my whole life and worked to help turn this state blue. if you'd told me four years ago that this is what the state was going look like now, i probably would have laughed at you

[Milspec]

20. I wish it could have been...

Oklohoma,Not a single county went blue here, a fact mentioned today at my church. We were all happy about the outcome though.

[Dappleganger]

22. Florida for sure, with VIrginia a close 2nd.

We live in FL (moved here in 2001) but was born, raised and lived in VA before that. Seeing VA go blue was unnerving--I really lost it then!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

23. Indiana

I never thought I'd live to see the day. Frankly, I'm so stunned I'm not sure if I still believe it happened- to an African American DEMOCRAT. It was close but, of course, a win is a win.

[kwenu]

24. Ohio because it put him over. North Carolina because it wasn't originally in play.

[Marsala]

25. Indiana, because it was such a huge upset historically

Florida and Ohio denied us in 2000 and 2004, but being the most critical swing states made them logical victories. Virginia has been projected to be one of the most likely big red-to-blue conversion for years. But Indiana was a RED state. The Republicans never even expected it to be in play until it was too late. Even Missouri switching wouldn't have been as surprising since Missouri was a historic bellweather.

[Bill McBlueState]

50. I picked Indiana, too

Even the best prognosticators thought Indiana would stay red, but now there's an unbroken chain of blueness from Minnesota to Maine.

[MadBadger]

26. Virginia because of the widespread Fear on Election Day that we would lose it

I conistently wasnt worried because I knew that NE hadnt come in, but on DU and my other friends were going crazy about us losing VA. It was great once we pulled ahead.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

27. North Carolina

When the home state of that racist Jesse Helms votes for a black man it's a good thing.

[Zombie2]

28. INDIANA

I wish this had everyones vote.

[PM7nj]

29. Virginia: The Capital of the Confederacy. nt

[GalleryGod]

81. Amen. Old Virginny!

:bounce:

[Yukari Yakumo]

30. Indiana

Of the rest, I mostly expected for Obama to win them.

Indiana was a total surprise.

[carnie_sf]

31. Indiana since it was the least expected

:toast:

[pirate_satellite]

32. Yes, Virginia

I vote Virginia because

---Indiana was won in part because it is a neighbor state to Illinois (akin to Clinton carrying mid-south states)

---Florida was always a purply shade of blue

---in North Carolina the margin was so thin (and so far behind Kay Hagen's margin over Dole) that I hold scant hope of a repeat in 2012.

Virginia on the other hand I think represents an Old South state that might become reliably Democratic, because its swing seems more motivated by immigration of new folks to the state, especially in the D.C. area. Not only would this be a great electoral college development for us in the short term, but I hope it represents the inevitable demographic shift that will happen all over the country in which the Bible-thumping right loses influence.

[Mid_FL_voter]

33. Florida, Florida, Florida!

[democrattotheend]

41. Congratulations

Being in Florida must feel good.

[stuntcat]

35. NC!

It's just a personal thing for me, I was SO happy and proud of NC!

[Borgnine]

36. My home Virginia.

We've worked so hard to turn it blue, which it's been treading ever since Mark Warner showed people that Democrats in office can be a good thing.

However, outside of VA, I'd say North Carolina. It shows we're making bigger inroads in the south than just Virginia (which is more of an extension of D.C. at times, along with Maryland), and really bodes well for the future (IF we continue to nurture the 50 state strategy).

[NorthCarolina]

37. NC for me n/t

[RedCloud]

38. Too tough to vote. No Missouri...

Oh, how many emails and such did I pump into that state?

All the rest were well rewarding.

I think La should have gone blue just out of the outrage for the Katrina fiasco and Bush cutting McCain's birthday cake at the time.

So I am sorry about Mizzou. But I am going for Texas next time. Let's win Texas!

[Alexander]

86. Missouri has not been called yet.

There's still a slight chance Obama could take it.

[rdublue]

39. North Carolina. It seems to always be portrayed as the old south it was when Helms was here but

we are a progressive state. People have a misconception of NC. It's a great southern state with the 'Mid Atlantic' rising. I love looking at the electoral map.

[D23MIURG23]

40. Ohio, because it carried the election for Obama.

Once Ohio was called it meant an Obama win, and all the commentators were holding off calling it until they were sure of the results in the west coast.

Indiana was a close second because this is the second time its gone democratic since the '30s.

[PBS Poll-435]

42. Florida set our economy back 16 years

I am very pleased.

[OmahaBlueDog]

43. Nebraska 2 -- SWEET!

..just saying :-)

[PBS Poll-435]

44. For my real answer, though,

Dallas, Bexar, Travis, Harris, El Paso Counties.

Texas is the next great battleground state.

[Whoa20]

45. Ohio, as when they called it,

we all knew it was over, Obama won

[democrattotheend]

46. True. It's surprising that they called it so early

It was actually closer than Virginia but got called much earlier, even though Virginia closed its polls earlier. I guess it had to do with where the vote was coming in...for some reason, Northern Virginia tends to be kind of slow to report.

[Kaylee]

47. As a Marylander, it gives me great satisfaction to welcome VA into the light!

[Mz Pip]

48. Florida

MY Sis In Law and her partner had just returned from a couple of weeks in Florida visiting his daughter and grandkids. He told me how he was verbally assaulted in a Home Depot when he refused to put on a McCain sticker some woman was sticking on people. He said she went nuts at him. They told us about the screaming and shouting on the street corners by McCainiacs and how the racism wasn't even subtle. They had considered moving to Florida to be near his daughter and the grandkids but thought better of it after their visit. I guess they must have visited in a very Red section of Florida.

After the tales they told we were just thrilled when FL went for Obama. Hopefully his win will send some of those people back under their rocks.

Florida going Blue is sweet revenge for 2000.

[Danger Mouse]

49. Florida, because the PUMA's said we couldn't do it.

And for many other reasons. We came full circle with that one.

[AZBlue]

51. I'm torn between Florida and Ohio.

For obvious reasons.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

52. The Land of Jesse Helms and Elizabeth Dole.

You're next, Burr...

[neverforget]

53. Nothing sums up EPIC FAIL like Indiana for McCain.

They are all satisfying but Indiana is the most because of the biggest swing from +20% Bush to Obama in 4 years.

[Zynx]

54. Indiana. Seeing the Midwest go solid blue for once was awesome.

[Motown_Johnny]

55. tough choice, but I went with North Carolina. Breaking the solid south is a good sign IMO

[Rowdyboy]

56. Its the one upset that shocked me the most....

Indiana next. What a year!

[Phredicles]

57. Virginia (and NC), because it represents the final dissoluntion of the

old Confederacy. Jefferson Davis has to be spinning in his grave, and it serves the ol' bastard right.

[cbc5g]

58. Virginia, it was a crushing victory in a state that hasn't voted for a Dem for Prez since '64

[buzzycrumbhunger]

59. Has to be the FL redemption

Damn--we may never have to hear about hanging chads or Katherine Harris again!

[chiefofclarinet]

60. I want to say Iowa, because it has ALWAYS been blue and its my home state, but I'll go with NE-2

It is the first time a state has split votes for President, and it couldn't have happened in a better election. Plus, Omaha going for Obama just looks cool!

[democrattotheend]

62. I'm surprised nobody has voted for Iowa

I guess we all knew it was going to go blue, so it wasn't surprising like Indiana.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

61. Indiana

even though I live in Florida

[last_texas_dem]

63. Indiana

Sure, FL was satisfying b/c they actually, officially counted it for us, unlike in 2000, but anyone with any sense and w/o an unreasonable pro-Repug bias knew that the Democrats had really won it in 2000.

IN, on the other hand, hadn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964. And while the same is true of VA, trends from the most recent presidential elections indicated that it was en route to go our way this time around. IN gave Bush around a 20-percent margin in '04, so this was an enormous turnaround on their part. Whether it could be duplicated with a candidate who isn't Obama in the future remains to be seen... but the pickup of 3 Congressional seats in the '06 midterms was a good sign, IMHO.

[treestar]

64. VA, NC and FL

We are startin to break the Repuke hold on the South

[bunkerbuster1]

65. Since you said "Satisfying" rather than "significant" I went with VA

Seeing a former Confederate state flip blue like that (followed by NC, of course) sealed the deal for me. We've turned a corner; Nixon's Southern Strategy is officially dead.

But it was hearing that OH had gone to Obama, of course, that let me breath a lot easier on Tuesday night.

[riona]

66. Florida

Sweet

[Alter Ego]

67. A tie between Florida and Ohio

but the edge to Ohio for being the state that broke McCain's back.

[mscuedawg]

68. Seeing that my husband's racist family come from the Redneck land of FLORIDA..

I say... Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:


And yes...the POTS and PANS were RINGING that night!!!!!

[RTFirefly]

69. North Carolina.

I feel that the more young people we get educated in the South, the more the South will improve over time, shucking off that whole scary Confederate Pride thing once and for all. NC turning blue shows progress in that.

[bushisanidiot]

70. Wow, that was a tough choice. For me, it was between FL, IN and NC.

I went with IN just because it had been so deep red for many years. I never would have guessed it would have gone blue. N.C. is also awesome!!

[Alcibiades]

71. North Carolina

Jesse Helms got his start race-baiting in Raleigh, and now we went blue for a black Democrat. We're now the 10th largest state, bigger than New Jersey, and getting bigger all the time. Getting rid of Dole was also sweet.

Florida and Virgina mattered more, probably, but North Carolina was more satisfying for those of use here, because this state certainly would not have gone blue without the efforts of local Democratic activists. Though the Kerry campaign was probably technically correct in pulling out of NC fairly early in '04 (given that he had a North Carolinian as a running mate), it did sting a bit, so it is nice to show that Tarheel Dems could turn our state blue. We have much work to do to keep it that way.

[SeeHopeWin]

73. Florida, becasue I live and work here :)

Worked for the campaign...

[qwlauren35]

74. Can't Make Up My Mind...

PA & VA because I'm from Maryland and we worked our butts off to secure BOTH states.
NC - because I lived there, and could not believe my eyes.
FL - because of Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris.

Everything else was icing.

[ChipperbackDemocrat]

75. Nebraska Congressional District-2

1. Because its my hometown
2. Because of what made it happen. Obama helped register thousands of residents of the "old" Omaha. Its black and working class white neighborhoods on the east and near northsides and its growing hispanic community in South Omaha. Instead of trying to outyuppie the Republicans, the Democrats went to where Republicans just don't go anymore and went after the votes the GOP thought they had in their pocket.

Now for the next steps. Keep a Democrat in the Mayor's office in 2009 (no Hal Daub!) In 2010, Lee Terry must go, Dave Heinemann must go...and we need to turn a senate seat blue.

[OldBlueDem]

76. NE2

Because Nebraska politics has been dominated by Republicans for so long and because it feels like my wife and I made a difference.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard in turning Red States Blue and thank you to everyone who tried to turn their Red State Blue.

[damonm]

77. For me, it was NC

- amid the stink of Jesse Helms and Elizabeth Dole.

The HIGHLIGHT of the election, for me, was that FL was IRRELEVANT, and that my CA helped put President Obama over the top.

[alfredo]

78. Indiana because an Army friend lives there and he dislikes Obama.

[Rhythm]

79. For me personally? North Carolina

I grew up in Charlotte, and lived in that part of the state for almost 30 years. Every election since i became eligible ('84) i fought the good fight beside fellow Democrats and other progressives... but always with the same unfortunate ending.

I almost cried when i saw 'home' go blue...

[ObamaKerryDem]

80. Florida, with Ohio a VERY close second. :D n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

83. Virginia. Believe it or not, for personal reasons.

There's a Brazilian wingnut (yeah, there are those, but thankfully not many here pay attention to them) who chose to move to Virginia because Brazil "turned communist" under the Lula "regime." (isn't it just peachy how Presidents they don't like don't have administrations, but "regimes?") He writes about Obama in terms that'd make Sean Hannity look like a Democrat.

I hope he had a heart attack.

And no, I'm not telling the name. Not gonna give that creep free advertising.

[mvd]

84. Florida most satisfying

But I'm ecstatic about the wins in IN and nC.

[jpljr77]

85. Colorado, because evangelicals are attempting to make it into their headquarters

And not just evangelicals, but the politically-minded evangelicals.