Organizing for America | Obama HQ Blogger: Thank You, Kentucky

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By Katie from Frankfort, KY Nov 8th 2008 at 8:10 pm EST (Updated Nov 8th 2008 at 8:10 pm EST)

I am from Kentucky, lived here most of my life! I am so happy that Obama won this election. I knew that KY would go red, but even with that I tried so hard to convince the people around me to vote for Obama...or at least consider him. There are some here where Obama would never even cross their mind...but thank God for the rest of the country!! They knew what change we NEEDED!!!

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By Carey from Kentucky Nov 8th 2008 at 9:41 pm EST (Updated Nov 8th 2008 at 9:41 pm EST)

We may not have turned it blue but its not because there wasn't enough people working hard here. My group, Richmond, KY for Obama held a rally on the 1st at the courthouse. It was open mic event. Many people stepped up to the plate to tell why they supported Obama. It was a wonderful day.

Barack has inspired me to do whatever I can to help my community. And I challenge all of Kentucky to volunteer ringing bells for the Salvation Army, go to a food bank and donate items and your time. Get involved in churches for the holidays because there will be many children this year without a Christimas.

Here's to working on 2012.

Carey

How did the Morehead area turn blue? | Report to Admin

By Teri Pettit Nov 9th 2008 at 9:08 pm EST (Updated Nov 9th 2008 at 9:08 pm EST)

I'm a Californian now, but I have roots in east Kentucky and have hosted a web site for Rowan Co genealogy since 1996 (see Link, so I made a point of tracking the election results there. I was surprised and delighted to see that the east Kentucky counties of Rowan, Elliott, Wolfe and Menifee went for Obama, despite being rural and over 95% white. In the NYT election map (Link, they form a little blue highlight surrounded by red.

Most Appalachian and southern counties that went for Obama in this election were urban and/or had large black populations, so I am intensely curious as to what factors contributed to this little pocket of rural Appalachia voting for Obama. Can anyone in that area enlighten me?

(The presence of Morehead State University doesn't seem like enough to account for it; for one thing, the college population doesn't extend south into Wolfe and Menifiee, and also few other small college towns in the south or Appalachia voted Obama.) I'm guessing that some influential local families and/or church leaders were first convinced to support Obama, and that they swung opinion, but I have no data for that conjecture other than a familiarity with the way people tend to put much more weight on the opinions of their fellow locals than they do on what outsiders and the media say.)

This also seems like a question worthy of attention from the Obama campaign leadership, since there might be something happening there that they could use to win more counties in Kentucky and similar states like Tennessee and West Virginia in 2012.

Surrounded by Blue | Report to Admin

By WakeUpDead Nov 11th 2008 at 2:47 am EST (Updated Nov 11th 2008 at 2:47 am EST)

I was disapointed living in Southern KY that we were the first state Red and while all these blue states were popping up all over, we were stil the only red. Then on top of that I think they even called KY as McCain, first and early, 0 votes counted and they called it!

It was a shame that we didnt have a better showing, letting Mitch slide, hurt the whole country and we really should have had him! I only hope he changes his ways knowing that hes there only by luck! But I bet he wont and I hope this could be his last term anyhow. With the Republicans rebooting and Mitch going on 26 years+ i wouldnt mind if he just stepped down!

As for Obama in 2012 here in KY, well he best get himself down here if he wants that to happen. i kept writting to them telling them to make a quick stop in Bowling green and Louisville or lexington. These people voted for McCain cuz they dont know Obama and if he would have stopped here they would have seen he was telling the truth and was wanting to help most in KY since most are under the 250.000 mark!

I made a bunch of calls and went door to door. I even gave out signs, I bought with my own money. We had alot of that going on. But it was the senators and Rep's federal and state level, both would not support Obama. I spoke to Lundsford and Newbeery both and couldnt nail them on the Obama support, just changed the subject. i think they should have joined the change express and if they had, they may have won!

But Obama will need to put more into KY if he wants to turn it blue in 2012! Just come here would be a start! Good chance to win KY in 2012 but he has to talk to all the new voters, 4 years of new voters could turn the state also. i guess starting earlyer would help but people get sick of it, when you have long elections. So I dont know! If this first 4 years are good then that will help the most!

Im from Kentucky, I voted Obama and Im proud of it! This state needs change more then most states do, needs to change some minds too!

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