Below are some of the reasons that Obama will win NE-02 and its Electoral College Vote.
SOME QUICK NEBRASKA FACTS:
In 1992, then Governor Nelson got legislation passed that allowed Nebraska to split its Electoral College votes by Congressional District.
February 7, 2008 - Barack Obama comes to Omaha and overfills the Omaha Civic Auditorium (12,000+)
February 9, 2008 - 2008 Nebraska Presidential Caucus - Douglas County (Omaha & 90% of the NE-02) has over 14,000 Caucus participants.
August 20, 2008 - Obama begins to staff up in NE-02
August 26, 2008 - Douglas County Democratic Party creates a federal committee - Nebraska 2 Change Coalition
September 10, 2008 - Obama Campaign has headquarters grand opening - (over 1100 in attendance)
October 1, 2008 - new registration numbers come out and Douglas County has gained almost 18,000 new Democrats in just under 16 months.
October 5, 2008, - in desperation, the McCain/Palin campaign send Sarah Palin to Omaha. She will be in the Omaha Civic Auditorium' Music Hall (capacity - 2257)
This Congressional District has been getting more and more press about its importance in this year's election.
Anna Jo Bratton of the Associated Press recently wrote a wire story about Omaha and Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District being in play for Barack Obama and the Democrats.
...Only Nebraska and Maine divide their electoral votes, though the votes have never actually been split. Obama has opened a campaign office in Omaha to make a play for the electoral vote decided by results in the 2nd Congressional District, which would be essential to victory if the election ended in a 269-269 electoral tie, neither candidate reaching the mandatory 270 electoral votes.
Such a tie could happen, say Nebraska Democrats, if Obama and Republican John McCain were to take most of the states they're expected to win and if Iowa, Nevada and New Mexico were to switch from Republican to Democrat. Instead of a tie, they say, Obama would win 270-268 if he won the 2nd District.
The Obama campaign started canvassing Omaha neighborhoods last month. John Berge, hired as director of Obama's Nebraska campaign, said that while some resources will go into the rest of the state, they'll be focused on the 2nd District.
Omaha, with about 400,000 people, lies in a congressional district of nearly 600,000. The city and suburbs have most of the state's black population and much of its population of Hispanics and other minorities, groups that national polls show favoring Obama...
Since then, over 28 news outlets picked up the story and ran with it. Prior to that story, others had noticed the opportunity available to Obama in Nebraska’s Second District.
Here’s what they're saying:
"In case 1 vote makes a difference in presidential race, Obama is making a play for Omaha’s"
— KTLA.com
"Nebraska’s Second District is, essentially, Omaha. Obama might sense an opportunity."
— George F. Will
"Watch for Obama in Omaha in fall campaign"
—Tom Curry, MSNBC.com
"The Democratic Presidential Candidate could win one electoral vote by carrying the second congressional district, which is anchored in Omaha,"
—Tom Curry, MSNBC - May 27, 2008
"That one electoral vote (Nebraska's 2nd) could matter."
— Nate Silver in an interview with Newsweek Magazine - June 12, 2008
"One congressional district, Nebraska (Congressional District)
Two is going to be very, very competitive and close, so we're going to advertise in the Omaha market, and we're working on our organization, too."
— David Plouffe, Obama for America Campaign Manager — Omaha World-Herald, August 25, 2008
The following news sources have run stories about Nebraska’s Second District and a vote for Obama:
Associated Press CBS2.com (L.A.) CBS4denver.com CBS4.com (Miami) Examiner.com Forbes.com Foxnews.com JournalStar.com KDKA.com KTLA.com Las Cruces Sun-News.com Las Vegas Sun MaximumEdge.com MSNBC.com OregonLive.com Philly.com Real Clear Politics Sacbee.com Sioux City Journal.com Syracuse.com The New York Times UnionLeader.com WashingtonPost.com WOKV.com WJLA Yahoo! And many more!
We need to spread the word about this ever growing important Electoral College vote. We need to blog and put more and more focus on Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. We need to spread the word about the efforts of the Nebraska 2 Change Coalition whose purpose is to gain this important Electoral College vote and also capture the votes needed for Congressional Candidate Jim Esch and Senate Candidate Scott Kleeb.
We can also support the Nebraska 2 Change Coalition through its ACTBLUE ACCOUNT.