North Carolina, the Mother of all Firewalls

My thanks go out to all organizers, activists, volunteers and donors who helped Obama achieve a hugely significant 15% margin of victory in the 2008 NC Primary.  Several kossacks from NC had previously claimed that North Carolina would be the ultimate firewall for the Obama campaign.  

You were right!

You said Carolinians (Northern flavor) would come out in droves for Obama and stop dead any momentum that Hillary might still be carrying.  And you did.  When NC efforts are combined with efforts in SC, which was also a crucial early victory for Obama, it would appear that all Obama supporters owe a big debt of gratitude for the regional loyalty to our candidate of choice.

If someone in 2007 had said that 50 primaries/caucuses would need to be completed before a consensus Democratic nominee would emerge, the immediate interpretation would have been that the entire nation of Democrats would need to weigh in.  50 states, 50 contests, right?  But as we've seen, 6 of the contests, to date, were of the non-state variety.

Still, how incredible is it that approximately 95% of the nation's Democrats (and some Republicans and Independents) had a chance to cast a meaningful vote in our nomination process for President.  This is truly little "d" democracy at work.

Many here have rued the prolonged contest, putting forth reasonable arguments that we were undercutting the ultimate nominee prior to the general election.  Or, that we should be focusing our guns and money on McCain.  But I say, every dollar spent by Clinton and especially by Obama in NC and IN was money well spent.  Did we just put North Carolina and Indiana in play during the General Election?  I think so.  When was the last time Republicans had to put significant resources into these 2 states to secure their electoral votes?  1976?  1964?

I hope voters in WV, KY, OR, SD, MT and Puerto Rico can feel the energy in their own upcoming contests that the rest of the nation has experienced.  I don't doubt that you'll be paid a visit or 2 from Senator Barack Obama.

But once again, as someone who lives clear across the country in Washington state (former inhabitant of Virginia), I say thank you to the good people of North Carolina for making a wise decision and moving Barack Obama oh so close to the 2008 Democratic Party nomination.

•  Tips for NC

  by rustydude on Wed May 07, 2008 at 09:57:41 AM PDT

  •  Was thinking about this this am-

    Not only is the "prolonged" primary getting people involved across the country who were formerly written off as "irrelevant" - which can only do good for the democracy all down the road - it's also, IMO, beneficial to Dems (contrary to the CW) because the rightwing doesn't have a single target to fix on so they can't coordinate their smears and ratfucking campaigns. Their efforts MUST be divided, all the way up to Denver. They are going to have to work harder/faster and with much less freedom to maneuver, because the nation will have had sooooo much more exposure to both D candidates that "no, listen to us, this is the REAL [nominee]" is going to be harder to do after voters have had so much time to watch them going flat out down the track to the home stretch...

    by bellatrys on Wed May 07, 2008 at 10:11:53 AM PDT

•  Thanks

  I have to say I'm pretty damn proud of my state today.

  by jiordan on Wed May 07, 2008 at 09:59:36 AM PDT

  •  OUR state, thank you :)

    by cskendrick on Wed May 07, 2008 at 10:03:53 AM PDT

    •  My bad

      OUR state :)

      by jiordan on Wed May 07, 2008 at 10:05:04 AM PDT

  •  me too.

    between the Obama victory and our whole state employees organization voting to join teh union (SEIU) it's been a good couple of days around here!

    by kismet on Wed May 07, 2008 at 10:06:44 AM PDT

  •  I'm very proud of us'n, I was worried when

    Bill was stumping in all the small towns. Being ex-Prez and all I am impressed with the lack of serious impact. Folks are paying attention here!  

    by Ptown boy in NC on Wed May 07, 2008 at 10:35:41 AM PDT

•  Thanks...

  I'm pretty proud of you today,too. I'm not from your state but I appreciate you!

  by cyncynical on Wed May 07, 2008 at 10:03:33 AM PDT

•  It's funny about firewalls ...

  We've heard about so damn many firewalls this primary season ... and finally, one of them actually held when it was expected to - and it was Obama's.

  New Hampshire was the first firewall, but then it was supposed to be extinguished after Iowa. Then there were Ohio and Texas, and Pennsylvania ... each of them was a Hillary victory (or spinnable as such), but it never gave the campaign the amount of protection the word "firewall" is supposed to connote. They slowed down Obama, for sure, but the narrative was always about the continued horse race.

  Then yesterday was North Carolina. For the first time in a while, the narrative is now one of certainty, and that's what a firewall is supposed to do.

  by Jyrinx on Wed May 07, 2008 at 10:22:54 AM PDT

  •  Your analysis is dead on

    And I might add that this firewall erases the doubts of the doom & gloomers who make up a sizable proportion of the Democratic Party, including some of the superdelegates.  They all gnashed their teeth and rent garments when in succession... Rezko, Wright and Ayers hit the street.  But now they can sleep easy knowing Obama weathered it all because the good people of North Carolina were able see through the fluff.

    by rustydude on Wed May 07, 2008 at 12:31:08 PM PDT