Daniel Ruth reminds us that the Florida county with the huge confederate flag

[madfloridian]

went for Barack Obama. He points that the huge (I think 60 foot) flag which flies next to I-4 is still flying there, but that it was countered this time by Hillsborough County helping to turn Florida blue for our first African American president.

He was at the celebration in Tampa, and he writes about it.

Night of Cheers (Obama)

Throughout the evening at the Marriott Waterside Hotel, the Obama faithful had been steadily gathering to drink in this moment in history. Perhaps in an homage to the Obama campaign, the Marriott had decided to do its part to help redistribute the wealth by charging $11 for a martini.

To be sure, these folks had good reason to be nervous.

First, this was Florida, with its history of holding elections that are the envy of the Salem witch hunts. And second, this was Hillsborough County, where its supervisor of elections, Buddy Johnson, was in the process of proving again he must have trained under that master of accountability, Papa Doc Duvalier, when it comes to counting ballots.

He tells about the moment when Florida was declared for Obama.

In a few more moments the country would officially elect its first black president at the end of a campaign more than 200 years in the making, winding through Selma and Birmingham and Watts and Hough and all the other stations of the cross of the American civil rights movement.

.."And just then, Florida - stumblebum Florida, the state that has historically been little more than a Wal-Mart gift card for the Bush family - was declared in favor of Obama.

..."Tuesday night, Barack Obama carried Hillsborough County, the same county where a bunch of narrow-minded simpletons fly a massive Confederate flag near I-4. That's hardly atonement. But it is a giant step across the breach of bigotry. One step down, more to come."

The I-4 Corridor turned bluer than any of us believed. Tampa on the west coast, Orlando on the east coast went blue...but in the middle fundamentalist heaven Polk County remained red.

Florida's I-4 Corridor looking bluer than I thought.

"I-4 is a little bit of South Florida, a little bit of North Florida, a little bit of Yankee transplants, and a little bit of old South rednecks," said Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker. ``It may be the best microcosm of Florida."

[madfloridian]

1. Good column from Ruth.....

and a kick before it archives.

2/3 of the I-4 Corridor went blue. Not bad at all.

[ColbertWatcher]

4. This is great news! Thank you for posting. n/t

[Kalifornia.Kid]

2. Night Of Cheers (Obama!) And Booze ($11 Martinis?!)

Link to his full aricle at Tampa Bay Online.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/06/na-night-of-cheers-obama-and-booze-11-martinis/news-columns/

[DiverDave]

3. I stayed in Land o' Lakes, at my cousins place

and, boy howdy, are they a bunch of rednecks.
I Like my cousin and his wife, but some of the neighbors were pretty out there.

[givemebackmycountry]

5. Kick-a-roonie!

I live a mile from I-4 in Central Florida, and I voted for Obama-yo-mama-no drama-new pajama, and I am proud to say the I helped Florida go BLUE baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BayjanDem]

6. In 2004

I was mad at the I4 people. But man they represented this year. While not as Blue as the lower 4 counties (Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe) Bluer than it has EVER BEEN. Awright ya'll!!!! Hate that stupid flag. What we need is 500 people with paint ball guns. But we're a BLUE STATE NOW,:bounce:

[bluevoter4life]

7. Here in Tampa

I think most of us would be lying if we didn't say that the announcement of Florida as a blue state sent shivers down my spine (the good kind). That confederate flag, if for one night, was irrelevant. I am proud to say I too, helped Florida go blue.

[cactusfractal]

8. Yes, Polk was still red...

But we took it from +17R in 2004... to +5R. We didn't expect to be blue, but the shade of purple our Obama volunteer teams (of which I am proud to have been a part) were able to muster is OK for us for now. Damn sure better than the scarlet of the last eight years.

Doug Tudor in 2010!

[madfloridian]

11. Hope Doug runs again.

And I hope he gets more support next time from the party.

[populistdriven]

9. i was there! (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd6c__LN4Y8

[madfloridian]

10. Wow! That must have been so exciting.

And please tell me where you got that animation of Obama and the ears. I love it.

[peekaloo]

12. We had a blast at the Lakeland Center.

46% for Obama in a red (neck) county is pretty damn impressive.

Doug Tudor was there but I believe he left early. I wanted to shake his hand but he was on his cell phone most of the time.

2010!

[madfloridian]

13. Did you hear Putnam stepped down from his leadership post in Congress?

I have heard two stories...the Ledger's version is he just "decided" to step down to run for something in the state sometime soon.

I have also heard that he was forced out as #3 in line of power. You just never know.

[peekaloo]

14. Hmmm. I had read that but assumed he was being a baby. Mean ol' liberals!

Then with Blunt stepping away....curious.