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News Orgs Projecting Obama The Winner In North Carolina
Barack Obama has won North Carolina, according to projections from NBC News, the New York Times and the Associated Press, with Obama leading by 14,000 votes out of over 4.2 million cast.
Not everyone has called the race yet, but assuming Obama's apparent win here holds up it would be a major watershed event.
This would be the first time that North Carolina has voted Democratic since Jimmy Carter was the South's favorite son in 1976. Beyond that, we apparently now have the state that sent Jesse Helms to the Senate for 30 years, and re-elected him to his final term just 12 years ago, voting for an African-American candidate for president.
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TAR HEELS REPRESENT!!!! WOOT WOOT
November 6, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, now THIS is funny!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/06/bushs-memoir-publishers-s_n_141809.html
November 6, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm actually moving there from DC next month. After this week, I'm much more excited about the prospect.
November 6, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Where in NC are you moving? I'm in Moore County and it's unfortunately very red still. Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, Asheville, the Outer Banks, are cool blue though.
November 6, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice. About time they called it though. Seemed pretty obvious since at least yesterday. I especially appreciate that Senator Burr has made a fool of himself suggesting on MSNBC that the outcome was never in doubt and that McCain had won the state easily.
November 6, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Burr is going to follow the Liddy Dole Expressway right out of office in 2010. Just let him keep up his yammering - he knows he's next.
November 6, 2008 1:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's a Burr under my saddle! Another reliable Bush/Cheney party-line foot soldier. Every time I Email him about civil liberties issues (FISA, etc.), he sends me those goddamn form letter replies assuring me that everything is fine, safeguards are in place, no laws violated, ad nauseum. Looking forward to booting his ass out in 2010!
November 6, 2008 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hopefully, with NC blue this go round, the state and national parties will actually work to offer up a strong slate of candidates next go round. We got lucky this year. Hagan ran a lousy campaign and won in spite of it, against a discredited incumbent. But field a similarly milquetoast candidate against Burr and we'll lose, because he actually is visible in the state and provides a modicum of constituent service. The NC dems need to get off their asses and recruit some talented candidates. Until now, they've just been going through the motions.
November 6, 2008 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
What the hell is going on in Georgia? Reports all week of record voter registration and turnout, and now the vote totals are less than fours years ago? And the same thing is being seen in Alaska returns now, as well?
November 6, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah! I second the wtf with GA!
Everything I read said there was a 30% early voter turn-out (high Democratic turn-out in the early voting) and that these votes had not yet been counted. But somehow they called the race???
But my news.google.com searches aren't turning up anything on this subject. Help me find the data so I can rest my mind.
November 6, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aw, now that's just too much. I'm actually starting to feel a little sorry for the Republicans. NOT!!!!
November 6, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
ROAR!!!!!!
Finally!
I know that it doesn't change anything, but for those of us who live here, it means more than words can say. I feel like I've been holding my breath for two days now. NOW I can celebrate, too.
So many people worked so hard to turn NC blue this year. This is a sea change, and I'm proud to have been here when it happened.
November 6, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
NC owned up this year, Dems won so many races.
November 6, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen. My teenaged daughters and I worked for Obama in the primary and the general and it feels great to know that our work (and that of thousands like us) actually made a difference. Booting useless Liddy was icing on the cake.
November 6, 2008 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
YES, NC!!! WE DID IT!!! AND WE KNEW IT ON WEDNESDAY!!!
All the big news orgs have been so slow in calling this! The State Board of Elections named Obama the unofficial winner yesterday afternoon (reported in the News and Observer, the state paper of record). They stated that analysis of past elections indicates that counting of provisional ballots will only increase the win margin for the current leader (Obama). That's the most official word we will get until at least mid-Nov. I have been Emailing TPM with links to News and Observer stories since Wed afternoon (sure I'm not alone in that), but I guess for some it's not over until the AP sings.
Anyway, YES NC!!!!!!! This, along with booting Dole's ass out and electing our first female gov, makes me proud of my adopted state.
November 6, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I was a child in NC, I remember our house was for sale (moving back to KY) and I was showing one perspective couple the yard. The lady asked me if any black people lived in the neighborhood. One of my best friends was black and I totally went off on the couple (and I was like in 8th grade!). They, of course, didn't buy the house.
But this news makes me think that North Carolina's growing up. Awesome news.
November 6, 2008 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for that wonderful story!
November 6, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
YES ...WE DID! NC is blue and this is excellent news!
November 6, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was born in Durham NC in 1950 and am VERY glad to see this happen! My dad tells me that in the late 40's, the Republican Party had to beg people to run on their ticket and often couldn't find takers. This was the era of the "solid South" and Dixiecrats. Then Nixon's Southern Strategy turned the South GOP. Now we're back again, with the ironic twist that the new President is an African American from Lincoln's state. I say congratulations, Tarheel State!
November 6, 2008 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
North Carolina AND Indiana...man, talk about icing!
November 6, 2008 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
And Missouri would make a sweet tri-fecta'
Anyone know what's going on there??
November 6, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
They're still counting the provisionals and stuff, I guess. But I don't think the result is going to change - MO is staying Republican.
http://www.kansascity.com/383/story/877175.html
November 6, 2008 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Georgia, Georgia, Georgia.
I want Georgia.
What happened to the early votes in Georgia?
Can anyone point me to the data?
November 6, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huzzah! Sweet sweet cherry on top for this Ashevillian (NC)!
November 6, 2008 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
NC is proud to be blue and it was a result of the solid ground game Obama had going here.
I just wish the map was more Carolina Blue instead of Duke Blue. ;)
November 6, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn, that electoral map right below these comments is looking nice! Even better if we can fill in Missouri with the azure hue. And don't Colorado and New Mexico look great, breaking up that big block o' scarlet! Things are changing!
November 6, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't seen anything from Harvey Gannt. He must feel some measure of satisfaction, I would hope.
November 6, 2008 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
NC's early voting certainly helped. Yet, on election afternoon, Sean Hannity was already calling for the end of all early voting laws and initiatives because it so clearly results in voter fraud and ballot box stuffing (NOT!). Typical BS from him. But, then again, in my opinion he lies and his listeners swear by it (what "great Americans !!"). Anything that results in increased voter registration and/or turnout is necessarily a bad thing for right wingers. Remember all the motor-voter registration measures that they always shot down? Look for there to be another effort by the neocons to short circuit any future early voting measures. Hannity represents just the beginning of the neocon/right wing propaganda campaign aimed at building up opposition to a very worthwhile effort to make sure as many properly registered voters have a reasonable opportunity to vote.
November 6, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely SWEET!
November 6, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've lived in SE NC for almost 9 years, and I have never been prouder of my adopted state.
yes, there's still racism. (show me a place that doesn't have that -- maybe antartica.) and there's certainly conservatism. but this is a fine fine day for folks who live in the BLUE state of No'th Cahlina, where nothin could be finer.
dt
November 6, 2008 8:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
My 21 yr. old niece went to North Carolina
from California to go door-to-door for Obama...
15-18 hour days. I am so proud of her and
ALL the volunteers.
November 6, 2008 10:21 PM | Reply | Permalink