Former Gov. Mabus (MS) & Congressman Carson (OK): Barack Wins in the Red States

[jefferson_dem]

Former Gov. Mabus & Congressman Carson: Barack Wins in the Red States
By T. Neil Sroka, SC Obama Staff - Dec 17th, 2007 at 8:22 pm EST

Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus (center) and former Oklahoma Congressman Brad Carson joined former South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin, who endorsed Barack last week, spoke in the Upstate this morning about Senator Obama's "red state" appeal.

The former Governor of one of the reddest states in the country (one that hasn't voted for a Democratic nominee since 1956), Mabus is backing Barack Obama for President for more than a few reasons.I'm for Barack Obama for a lot of reasons. One, I think he's got the vision, character, and leadership that can take America where America needs to go and help America live up to its continuing promise. But the second reason is just a pure practical political reason: I think Barack Obama has the best chance of winning in November. He has the best chance of beating whoever the Republican nominee is, and you see it in polling data. Barack Obama appeals to Independents and Republicans.

While Gov. Mabus' point about Independent and Republican interest in Barack Obama certainly plays out in the numbers, it also means, Mabus noted, that a Republican nominee would have to fight for "every single vote, in every single state," rather than just counting on more traditionally conservative states -- states like Mississippi and South Carolina -- to go his way without effort.

Former Congressman Carson backed up Gov. Mabus thoughts by noting the powerful, positive effect a nominee with the ability to win over Republican and Independent voters would have on Democrats running for down-ballot, state and local elected positions.I've talked to people in the State legislature of my home state and I've talked to people that are hoping to run for office and they all agree on one thing: "That our best chance to win in difficult territories, like Oklahoma, is to have a candidate, like Barack Obama, who wants to turn the page of the past twenty years of divisive, polarizing, and gridlocked politics.

"Barack Obama, Fmr. Congressman Carson concluded, is one of the few politicians who is able bridge an almost impossible range of racial, political, and geographic divides and get the support of people who thought they'd never vote for a Democrat.

I've talked to people and they haven't voted for a Democratic candidate in ten, twenty, sometimes thirty years, and they say to me, 'You know, if Obama is the nominee, I think I will vote Democratic this time'...I come from a place where Democrats find a tough going many times and Barack Obama is the person who can break through that wall of indifference that so many people show to Democratic party...So, I think when people in South Carolina look around and ask, "Who can win this race?" I believe that, in the places I come from , Senator Barack Obama is the right candidate to do just that.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/tneil/CCnP

[ClarkUSA]

1. GREAT stuff that proves the polls right about Obama's now undeniable crossover appeal

I was told by an Hillary supporter yesterday that I was a fool if I thought Obama had more red-state appeal than The Cackler.
Guess who's the fool?

[DemKR]

2. So the red state nuts support him?

[jefferson_dem]

3. Is that the way you refer to Democrats who happen to reside in "red" states.

Figures.

51% is not enough.

[proudmoddemo]

5. No way Hillary gets 51%

47% of the public has already declared that they'll NEVER vote for her under any circumstances. Add that to the fact that she's pissed off the entire Democratic base (African Americans, labor, and the anti-war crowd), and there's no way she even breaks 45.

[proudmoddemo]

4. Runs ahead of Romney and Huckabee

In Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky (tied with Romney), Florida and Virginia. A little early yet, but still that says something--it says that he is electable. And we can't win without a red state or two switching sides. I don't see how Hillary--which 47% of the public has already declared that they'll NEVER vote for under any circumstances--can win. Especially now that she's pissed off the entire base of the Democratic Party--labor, African Americans, and the anti-war crowd. Good luck winning Hillary.

[jackpan1260]

6. Please link to the polls you mention

I am a big poll watcher, I have never see anything like what you mention.
Regardless, no Democrat is going to win Kansas unless we have a LBJ level landslide.

[proudmoddemo]

9. Here you Go:

http://surveyusa.com/electionpolls.aspx

There all here. A compilation of state by state general election polls. Also, don't overlook the native son factor with Obama. I think that helped Kerry a little bit in Colorado, and it could help Obama in Kansas.

A Democrat could win Kansas if they're up against the entirely unelectable Huckabee or the equally unelectable Romney. Also, if Kathleen Sebelius is on the ticket, the Democrats might just be able to pull off Kansas even against the favored McCain there.

[ClarkUSA]

10. Not like Rupert Murdoch supports Hillary but we can't all be that *lucky*

:eyes:

[last_texas_dem]

7. One nitpicky correction

MS actually has voted for the Democratic nominee once since '56; they voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976. Still, they're definitely a dark red state.

Congrats to Sen. Obama on the southern Dem endorsements. :thumbsup:

[ginchinchili]

8. They're dreaming.

I live in Mississippi and I'd be more than happy to take bets on Obama losing Mississippi, no matter who the Repub nominee is. Mississippi hasn't progressed that far. Eke gads, Halley Barbour is our governor!

[ClarkUSA]

11. Leading Idaho Democratic lawmakers back Barack, too...

Campaign officials for Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama are touting a new batch of endorsements from Idaho Democrats.

The endorsements announced Monday include Idaho's House Minority Leader Wendy Jacquet, of Kethchum, state senator Mike Burkett, of
Boise and Ada County Commissioner Paul Woods.

Officials say they have also received the backing of Jerry Brady, the Democratic nominee in Idaho's gubernatorial race last year.

They are the latest batch of Idaho Democrats to swing their favor for Obama, a first-term Illinois Sen. who has closed the gap in the polls
on front-runner Hillary Clinton in Iowa and other early primary states.

Last month, Obama opened a campaign office in Boise and he is the top fundraiser among Idaho Democrats.

http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/302631.html

You'll never see any Democrat from Idaho endorse a Clinton, that's fer damn sher.