First Results: Obama Takes Dixville Notch Away From The GOP
The first results are in for the 2008 general election, with the small village of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire again performing its tradition of having everyone turn out to vote at midnight and then immediately reporting the results.
And the count is a real shocker, as just read on CNN: Obama 15 votes, McCain six votes -- in a place that has only voted Democratic once in the 50 years they've been doing this tradition.
The results here aren't really predictive of anything, either for New Hampshire or the country -- Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Richard Nixon in 1968, Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, plus John Kerry in 2004 all carried the state even as they lost here, and Obama carried it in the Democratic primary that he went on to lose. But the news that Obama picked up a well-known rural Republican stronghold is certainly not discouraging.
Late Update: We initially wrote that Dixville Notch has never voted Dem before -- but in fact they voted for Hubert Humphrey in 1968. Take that as another cautionary tale.
My friends, that's granite we can believe in!
November 4, 2008 12:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think Dixville Notch is but a small taste of what's coming McCain's way.
And he'll deserve every bit of it.
November 4, 2008 12:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
one might even call it...encouraging.
November 4, 2008 12:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
"That's not a Notch we can believe in."
November 4, 2008 12:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll take every vote we can get.
May it be a sign of a landslide that is easy to call by the end of Tuesday night!
November 4, 2008 12:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great News.
It has started. Go, Go, Go.
November 4, 2008 12:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Heh. Dixville.
November 4, 2008 12:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
It must be late, because I actually laughed when I read that.
November 4, 2008 5:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Heh. Notch.
November 4, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
CNN is saying since 1968 (Humphrey)
November 4, 2008 12:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually Hubert Humphrey won Dixville Notch in 1968.
November 4, 2008 12:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Was Josh Lyman ever able to round up enough votes for Jed Bartlett in Hartsfiled's Landing?
November 4, 2008 12:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, Wiki says that Humphrey won, 8-4. The final of that one didn't turn out too well for our side. But that was 1968. Bush won Dixville Notch in both 2000 and 2004. Obama smacked McCain there this year.
November 4, 2008 12:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
The smell of a brewing victory.
November 4, 2008 12:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Early good tidings of a tsunami.
November 4, 2008 12:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fuck it, I'll take anything we can get.
November 4, 2008 12:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_undertakes_presidential
to die for
November 4, 2008 2:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
The snowball has started rolling down the hill......this is going to be the biggest landslide the USA has ever seen.
November 4, 2008 12:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
There are no red notches and blue notches . . .
November 4, 2008 12:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
wee don't need no stinkeen' notches...
November 4, 2008 12:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
There's going to be a whole lot of red notches in the GOP by this time tomorrow.
November 4, 2008 12:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Big ones! Notches grande!
November 4, 2008 1:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Buenos notches!
November 4, 2008 1:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, Humphrey, but don't forget President Bartlett
November 4, 2008 12:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hart's Location too
Obama: 17
McCain: 10
Paul: 2
http://www.hartslocation.com/
November 4, 2008 12:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Harts Location follows the trend;
Obama 17
McCain 10
(in the primary the democrats only got 13 total votes, and the republicans got 16)
November 4, 2008 12:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh happy days:>)
November 4, 2008 12:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
this photo sums up the McCain campaign
http://www.hahastop.com/pictures/Weird_Crash.jpg
November 4, 2008 12:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
That is awesome.
I can relax now.
November 4, 2008 1:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Try this one out
November 4, 2008 1:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bush won Dixville in 2004, something like 15-7. Quite a reversal.
November 4, 2008 12:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh happy days:>)
November 4, 2008 12:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
woo hoo.
last time result was Bush 19 v. Kerry 7 (wikipedia). so, did Obama campaign do special GOTV of Dem base in Dixville Notch, or did Repub locals revolt against McCain? neither is a good story for Repubs going into voting day!
November 4, 2008 12:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
woo hoo.
last time result was Bush 19 v. Kerry 7 (wikipedia). so, did Obama campaign do special GOTV of Dem base in Dixville Notch, or did Repub locals revolt against McCain? neither is a good story for Repubs going into voting day!
November 4, 2008 12:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
apols for double post. 12:50AM eastern and server is already giving warning messages! yes we can ... crash TPM commenting.
November 4, 2008 12:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Geez, already getting high traffic messages, sorry for double post. Using iPhone doesn't help.
November 4, 2008 12:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's amazing a town of 20 people didn't flip for 40 years. Amazing.
November 4, 2008 12:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
The smashing upset for McCain will allow me to sleep peacefully and with optimism tonight. Here we go!
November 4, 2008 12:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Current results from New Hampshire;
Obama 32
McCain 16
November 4, 2008 12:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
It looks like the number of total votes in Dixville Notch has shrunk:
1988: 37 total votes
1992: 25
1996: 26
2000: 26
2004: 26
2008: 21
November 4, 2008 12:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's like a lot of small towns across America. The opportunities aren't there for young people........
so they move away.
The median age is 76. (!)
November 4, 2008 1:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's like a lot of small towns across America. The opportunities aren't there for young people........
so they move away.
The median age is 76. (!)
November 4, 2008 1:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
After 21 months it is finally time for the cliche "the only poll that matters is on Nov. 4"
I was teaching some of my French friends expressions like
The fat lady has sung
Turn out the lights the party's over..
Just cued up U2's Beautiful Day.
Hail to the Chief!
November 4, 2008 12:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Darling, I've been singing for weeks. At this point, I'm just too hoarse.
The Fat Lady has stopped singing, and is ready to start drinking.
November 4, 2008 1:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL
November 4, 2008 1:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Will the Dixville Knotch vote make any headlines tomorrow and is it well known in the U.S.?
I've never really been here for an election so all this stuff is news to me....thnx.
November 4, 2008 12:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, it's a tradition--
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&scoring=n&q=Dixville+Notch&btnG=Search
November 4, 2008 1:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've never really been here for an election so all this stuff is news to me....thnx.
Down a shot for every state Obama wins - if you're still standing when polls close in Hawaii, the terrorists win. :-)
November 4, 2008 7:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Please take some time to share this video with your undecided friends on this election eve. Watch this explosive new video on John McCain. It is in the style of Obama attack videos and those of The MouthPiece. It is fast paced and has an excellent soundtrack. The information is over the top.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0c_oI3eb2s
November 4, 2008 1:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's not a sign of anything special for the election. But it is potentially a bad sign for the Republicans' future.
Dixville Notch is a reliably crotchety New Hampshire Republican town. (Long ago, before I was Doctor Cleveland, I was the Granite State Kid.) The surprise isn't that they voted Republican for 40 years ... it's that they voted Democratic that recently.
But here's the thing ... crotchety New Hampshire Republicans, of the Dixville Notch variety are basically libertarian types. They aren't Christianists. They aren't "values voters." They're about living free or dying.
If the Republicans are losing these people by a 5-2 margin, it's a sign that the GOP is shrinking its tent. And McCain, before the campaign started, was the BEST CONCEIVABLE Republican candidate for these voters. That he's losing this big means the Republicans have started losing more than one election.
November 4, 2008 1:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's not a sign of anything special for the election. But it is potentially a bad sign for the Republicans' future.
Dixville Notch is a reliably crotchety New Hampshire Republican town. (Long ago, before I was Doctor Cleveland, I was the Granite State Kid.) The surprise isn't that they voted Republican for 40 years ... it's that they voted Democratic that recently.
But here's the thing ... crotchety New Hampshire Republicans, of the Dixville Notch variety are basically libertarian types. They aren't Christianists. They aren't "values voters." They're about living free or dying.
If the Republicans are losing these people by a 5-2 margin, it's a sign that the GOP is shrinking its tent. And McCain, before the campaign started, was the BEST CONCEIVABLE Republican candidate for these voters. That he's losing this big means the Republicans have started losing more than one election.
November 4, 2008 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good points. Thanks.
November 4, 2008 1:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
By the way - greatest moniker ever. You're NE Ohio's answer to Doctor Manhattan! (No pressure, or anything.)
November 4, 2008 1:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know if it's a portent, or a sign, or the beginning of a landslide...
All I know is that it's a LEAD. Let's hang on to it with all our strength and build on it throughout the day!!
(BTW, that's 71% vs. 29% for DN, 60% vs. 34% for HL, average 67% to 33% for NH!)
November 4, 2008 1:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wait, is Dixville Notch part of rrreal America?
November 4, 2008 1:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not any more...
You can bet that crap pisses the hell out of them. They aint buyin' what she's sellin'...
November 4, 2008 1:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ya know. I never really thought about the importance of these mis-speaks from Palin talking about real America at the fund raiser and Nancy Pfotenhaur regarding real Virginia but those two statements, in my opinion, were as damning today as the bitter comment was months ago, if not worse.
Obama has really hammered this issue home in the last couple weeks.
November 4, 2008 1:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
OH--THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU--
here's to the dawning of a new day--as we move into the first two of the sweetest 24 hours anyone has seen in a long time.
November 4, 2008 1:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Congratulations.
You are about to elect a President who will give you a bigger government and more spending. Your new President will give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, drastically increase the number of H-1B visas, and eliminate E-verify at a time when millions of American Citizens are out of work. Your new Commander in Chief will keep American soldiers in Iraq against your will. Your new Chief Executive will borrow, spend, give away, and waste billions of dollars when the national debt is passing $12 trillion. Against your wishes your new President helped Bush give $1 trillion to the banks as his parting gift. No matter how much you object, Public Servant Number One will not listen and will continue to implement his own agenda. It doesn't matter if it's McCain or Obama.
http://ewebsmith.com/Finance/notlistening.html
November 4, 2008 2:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did you get kicked out of them freepers' blogs ?
November 4, 2008 2:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, they're totally exactly alike!
Thank you, websmith! The scales have been lifted from my eyes!
Jagoff.
November 4, 2008 2:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
so what should we do? You are basically calling for people to just withdrawl from the process altogether or you are advocating revolution. Neither is really very appealing. And I venture that you don't really have the stomach or courage for revolution. Lot's of killing involved.
So, what is your point? Such all encompassing cynicism I understand. I have spent many an hour over a bong and a beer while withdrawling from the process. It wasn't all bad, I sorted out a lot of things in my mind, sobered up and moved on. But withdrawling means being disconnected. During those days I certainly didn't try to convince others to join me. That's sort of the whole point of withdrawling.
I am only left with revolution. Is that what you want? I suggest you think long and hard about what that really means.
Talk is cheap, life is precious. I'm willing to let the process play out a little longer.
November 4, 2008 2:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Paulbot,
Don'tcha remember he lost months ago.
Oh right you're a Paulbot.
November 4, 2008 2:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Paulbot,
Don'tcha remember he lost months ago.
Oh right you're a Paulbot.
November 4, 2008 2:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow...that's sooo enlightening. Never mind the last two years of campaigning, or the books, or the respective records of each candidate. This one post from this one guy made it all so clear to me!!
Incedentally, given your too cool for school posturing, doesn't that mean that you'd hold anyone who does what you advocate in contempt for mindless following?
November 4, 2008 8:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why does Dixville Notch hate America? Obviously terrorist, Muslim, pinko, baby-killers...ignore them...McSlime HAS OBAMA RIGHT WHERE HE WANTS HIM!
November 4, 2008 2:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
most important tally from last night:
steelers: 23
redskins: 6
http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20081104-170202/Good-for-Obama-Steelers-beat-Redskins
November 4, 2008 4:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seeing the Redskins lose is always good; this time, it is even better!
November 4, 2008 5:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
As a Vermonter, abutting New Hampshire, I a so proud of Dixville Notch. This is unbelievable. This is gonna be very interesting, not to put a hex on anything. Polls are now opening.
November 4, 2008 6:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
"While we await good tidings—knock on wood!—I am posting some Flickr related pics that I found appealing, interesting, neat, cute... If you 're out there busting your chops for the GOTV effort: thank you! Yes We Can!"
Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 blog
November 4, 2008 6:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
"While we await good tidings—knock on wood!—I am posting some Flickr related pics that I found appealing, interesting, neat, cute... If you 're out there busting your chops for the GOTV effort: thank you! Yes We Can!"
Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 blog
November 4, 2008 6:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Only Eric could see this story as "another cautionary tale."
November 4, 2008 7:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Still warming up for tonight:
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!
November 4, 2008 8:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Only Eric could see this story as "another cautionary tale."
November 4, 2008 8:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's try that again:
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
HHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!!
November 4, 2008 8:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
The question in my mind is why McCain got 6 votes? 1/3 of the vote? What was the "thought" that went into such a thoughtful choice? That I would like to know.
November 4, 2008 8:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
First we were told Obama can't win the Latino vote.
Then we were told Obama can't win women voters.
Then we were told Obama can't win the white working class vote.
Then we were told Obama can't win the rural vote in places like Dixville Notch.
Proving the punditocracy wrong is sweet.
November 4, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
If I lived in Dixville Notch (or as described in another thread "Dickweed Notch"), I'd be the one guy who refused to vote at midnight, either insisting the polls be open at a "reasonable time" or by voting absentee. "Yeah, I'll be unavailable during the three minutes you've got the polls open, you attention whores."
November 4, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
ahahah its about time obama's winning!
palin is terrible!
check out this hilarious video about her
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exiyBYnJ00
November 4, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
first of many wins tonight
November 4, 2008 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink