An Ohio Obama voter reflects on the mood.

Fear not Obama faithful. As a former intern at the Ohio Democratic Party headquarters, I could see the writing on the wall of a Clinton victory much before tonight. She was our chief guest at the Democratic State Dinner, the ohio dems love their governor and party officials, and what they say pretty much goes. So Clinton was running for Ohio much longer than the  recent media attention would suggest.

Of course other factors played into tonights Clinton Victory, but Obama was always an underdog. Based on whatever conversations i've had, there was a sense that Obama was simply the product of a mob, a herd, who had not tested their candidate appropriately. I hate to say it, but Hillary completely de-balled him, with that stupid phone ad. Ohio is a dark place, and recently it has been filled with turmoil over the economy.

to understand ohio, know this:
This is the land of Woody Hayes, we have a cynicism as cold as cleveland.

I voted for Obama because I am sick of all the sneers.

The lack of optimism is disturbing

•  I think some of your take is partly right

  but much of it is completely wrong. I personally am a little baffled because there was so much visible excitement around Obama, I thought it would be closer, with Hillary winning by maybe 4-5 points because of her longterm major institutional support from people like Gov. Strickland, Lee Fisher, Stephanie Tubbs Jones etc. But in recentl weeks, way more of the grassroots politicians -- mayors, county commissioners, city councilpeople, state legislators --were going for Obama. Hillary courted the big names and the big money people hard.

  Yet Hillary pulled out all the stops here and campaigned bigger than she has anywhere with constant presence and surrogates, including Bill, everywhere.

  I doubt that silly 3 a.m. ad changed many votes let alone "deballed" him. And with all the back and forth about NAFTA and health care and who said what when, i think it all became noise, and other factors came into play although I'm not sure what. I saw that my own precinct where I worked in Cleveland Heights went for Obama by about 60%. My best friend in Geauga County, Republicanland, said, incredibly hers did too. What happened elsewhere I think was more the result of Hillary slamming  the state hard with some powerful backing. But I always kind of expected her to win here, just not by double digits.

  by anastasia p on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:12:23 PM PDT

  •  I'm not going to panic *or* celebrate...

    ... until we see the delegate stats.

    by highacidity on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:20:05 PM PDT

  •  No Geauga County didn't go for Obama

    Here's the Geauga County results:

    Hillary Clinton:  54%
    Barack Obama:      44%

    The good news from Geauga County?  Over 63% of all ballots cast were Democratic ballots, very unusual in Republicanland....

    by Exurban Mom on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:22:27 PM PDT

    •  I was referring only to her precinct

      Hard to tell what happened elsewhere. I don't know what happened elsewhere on the east side of Cleveland either. Not a clue.

      by anastasia p on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:28:38 PM PDT

•  You all did a great job

  Thanks for your hard work.

  by fcvaguy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:13:14 PM PDT

•  my own reflection

  Just as only "price pays" when speculating on stocks/bonds/commodities, only "delegates pay" when speculating on the selection of the Democratic nominee.   Hillary will have her media moment tomorrow, and then when the delegates are tallied, she will still be behind.  All of the news to come is important insofar as it affects future primaries/caucuses, and as it affects superdelegates.

  A long, hard, slog is at hand - and given the numbers, Obama is still the favorite to win.  But indeed, the cynical question must be asked: at what cost?

  by NewAmericanLeft on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:14:34 PM PDT

  •  I hate to be a pessimist

    but the states of Michigan and Florida (FLORIDA!) will come into play again, with new primaries/caucuses. There's no way that the DNC doesn't give those states a second crack at it.

    Hill's territory. Please say something to cheer me up.

    by bleeding blue on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:20:43 PM PDT

    •  The Democratic Party's future is nigh

      ...what will they decide to do?  They will be either a force for socioeconomic change across this country and american reestablishment around the world, or an inept dysfunctional political structure floundering its way to self-immolation.

      It will be extremely interesting to see where the party power players (richardson, gore and edwards in particular) stand after today, and what happens with the superdelegates!  So much is riding on what happens here.  I do not think the Democratic power structure will allow Michigan and Florida to be "revoted", as it will call into question the party's viability and their very existence.  

      If Hillary pulls this out, they will simply become the Clinton Party; no longer a larger-tented DNC but the DLC through and through.  I don't think it will happen given the massive numbers of new voters, new money, and new enthusiasm.  

      We shall see.        

      by NewAmericanLeft on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:36:08 PM PDT

  •  big question: how fast does the money dry up?

    She's going to be turning all her guns on PA now. How much money is she going to need to keep running in PA for the next six weeks and can her campaign be starved out?

    I really wish she would go away.

    by Mad Kossack on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:20:59 PM PDT

  •  As many have noted

    the media just likes a contest, no matter what the cost to the parties involved. It's good for ratings, good for ad revenue. Were the rae to have been conclusively decided tonight, they would have lost tens of millions in income. I think it really is just that simple and it's why you will see them doing a lot of spinning about how Hillary's glorious wins revived her viability, without noting that Obama still has a ton MORE wins and enough more delegates to probably have made this thing unwinnable for her.

    by anastasia p on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:24:17 PM PDT

•  This is...Rec...list?

  It must be bed time, at the end of a very long campaign night. See you all on the flip side!

  by Mardish on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:16:13 PM PDT

  •  im sorry

    i didnt write an in depth report

    by desiunion on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:18:14 PM PDT

    •  Tips go to the post directly above me. n/t

      by Dapremonster on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:22:23 PM PDT

    •  It's not that your diary is bad,

      it's that this made rec list with only three comments. My only guess is that this place is so dead the algorithm broke down :p

      There is no need to apologize for your diary.

      by Mardish on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:22:42 PM PDT

•  And there's the problem.

  The guys at the top say what goes. The rest of us be damned.

  by dnamj on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:18:27 PM PDT

  •  No, you can lobby your elected "supers"

    all you want. I'd go easy with the private citizens, maybe a polite email. But as to those elected critters...WE OWN THEM. WE'RE THEIR BOSSES!

    by bleeding blue on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:25:21 PM PDT

    •  I loathe the presidential primary.

      Lobbying them to vote on a candidate? That just sucks.

      by dnamj on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 09:18:14 AM PDT

•  I can't stand Ohio

  Your Woody Hayes comment reminded me of why. Well, there are some parts of Ohio that I like, but overall it reminds me of the worst of PA, the worst of IN, and the worst of MI.  Sorry, this sounds bad, but I like Kentucky, West Virginia and Michigan much better - even though they are often less progressive in their politics. At least they have natural beauty...

  by Elrod on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:18:48 PM PDT

•  Obama needs to respond

  Obama has to do a better job of responding to Clinton attacks. I know he wants to keep a positive message but he has to fight her so called experience and bring up the Clinton scandals. She has so much stuff that he could exploit about her record but has failed to do so.

  by wisconsin girl on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:19:00 PM PDT

  •  he should start asking

    why she can't release her tax returns, and why America should take the risk of nominating someone whose husband is implicated in a $131 million bribe.

    by QuickSilver on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:27:50 PM PDT

•  How much did racism play in Ohio?

  I heard Leftwing Mike Malloy on the radio say that was also a large part of the problem.

  by clarion on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:19:27 PM PDT

  •  Probably very little

    It's way overrated, and as with most places, the serious racists are all hardcore GOP.

    by anastasia p on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:21:46 PM PDT

  •  a huuuuuuge part

    hUSSein drove them INSANE!

    by desiunion on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:21:59 PM PDT

•  Post a tip jar...

  you're on the list kid...

  Bummed here in Wisconsin tonight.  I feel...

  by tundraman on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:19:32 PM PDT

  •  i was on the list

    haha, how quickly the tide turns.

    by desiunion on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:23:18 PM PDT

•  I still like Ohio. And I'm an Obama supporter.

  So Hillary's money and scorched-earth/kitchen-sink tactics saved what was left of what had been a 20-point lead. My fellow Pennsylvania voters now have 7 weeks to get to know Obama, as opposed to the 2 weeks that came between Wisconsin and the Ohio-Texas vote.

  I grew up mostly in Ohio, so sue me, but I still have a soft spot for the place.

  by BenPA on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:22:21 PM PDT

  •  Thanks for the love

    It's hard being a Buckeye tonight....

    by Exurban Mom on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:23:42 PM PDT

    •  like almost every night

      and if you go to ohio state, almost every national championship.

      by desiunion on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:25:58 PM PDT

  •  I like Sandusky

    It's got a nice old downtown and a great amusement park. Right on the lake.

    by eyeball on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:26:27 PM PDT

  •  Actually the campaign here

    launched in earnest almost four weeks ago. Certainly three. I grew up in Chicago, but I live in Ohio so I guess I should take umbrage at attacks but I saw the name Woody Hayes and my eyes glazed over. I loathe progressional and quasi-professional "college" team sports. It's probably the numer one thing I hate about Ohio.

    by anastasia p on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:26:51 PM PDT

•  Nope, not the ad

  because she has about as much "experience" in the 3 am phone call as my jack russell puppy.

  I can see this coming out: the clinton adventure in Somalia.

  Seeing the bodies of American soldiers dragged through the streets, on what she is claiming as "part of her experience" is going to bite her in the ass.

  I'm sure she had nothing to do with the deployment and disposition of the troops in Somalia. But she's claiming that as her "experience" and you know the republicans have that footage ready and waiting.

  Just saying.

  by seronimous on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:32:16 PM PDT