Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Interesting numbers - Obama.

Guardian gives a listing, check it for more states - but this part of it, on Feb. 6, after the big day, is the part I find most interesting:

For Obama (delegates allocated proportionately)

Alaska - 74%
Colorado - 67%
Idaho - 80%
Illinois - 64%
Kansas - 74%
Minnesota - 67%

In Minnesota, in the Sixth District, it was a local district caucus split very close, but a slight majority for Obama.

Idaho and Alaska are small states, without major urban centers, that seem to have clearly voted with the idea that - in Dem ranks at least - they want a change.

Neither has the image of being a strong union state. Nor does Kansas or Colorado.

The status quo is represented more by Clinton than Obama. The status quo seems most strongly supported, two states:

Arkansas - 69%
New York - 57%

Obama and Clinton each took about 2/3 of the home state vote; Illinois and Arkansas respectively. The Senator from New York took New York, but not by any margin resembling some of those really lop-sided Obama margins.

California and Connecticut, populous west coast and populous east coast, nearly evenly split, 52% Clinton in California, 51% Obama in Connecticut.

But Idaho and Alaska and Kansas - the whopping big margins? There must be an explanation.

_________UPDATE__________
Guardian has an informative article here, on the remaining Dem state scheduling, and naming advisors to the several campaigns. The names mean nothing to me, just names, but political junkies might have insights from saying, "Oh, he's with Hillary this time." Guardian says if it's not determined in Ohio, Pennsylvania might be the pivotal state. With that being the ending scenario - the famous final scene, there is this, for opera fans -

I guess the problem with Wagner specifically is that where a lot of other opera uses recitative for the conversations, Wagner makes all the drama part of the composition. Often, the singer sings a line, and then the orchestra replies with a phrase to show you what the character is feeling or thinking -- or to point out some connection or significance that the character themselves may not be aware of. This can mean that the singer is competing with the orchestra, particularly, say, in the final scene of Gottedamerung where Brunhilde and the orchestra are both going at full strength.

It's what Yogi Berra said more succinctly.