It's beginning to look good for us here in Obamaha!
From the Omaha World-Herald (emphasis mine)
Good news for Barack Obama supporters.
His odds of bagging an electoral vote in Nebraska grew stronger this morning, with word that 10,000 to 12,000 early ballots and 5,200 provisional ballots are left to count in Douglas County.
Obama won about 61 percent of the early votes counted before Tuesday's election. If that percentage holds with the early ballots left to count, Obama stands a strong chance of winning the Omaha-area 2nd Congressional District.
Republicans did not concede defeat this morning, but they acknowledged the long odds.
John McCain held a 569-vote lead over Obama in the 2nd District at the end of Tuesday.
"I will remain cautiously hopeful but not cautiously optimistic," said Hal Daub, state director for McCain. "I'm disappointed (in the numbers). We really worked hard here, against substantial resources being poured into Nebraska."
More after the jump, including maps and junk!
Map courtesy of a different article from the Omaha World-Herald
But Obama did better in Nebraska than any Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson, who won the state in 1964. And unlike most presidential elections, when Nebraska has been one of the strongest Republican states, this year's percentage of votes for McCain ranked below at least nine other states.
Man, we worked hard for this. I'm crossing my fingers!
UPDATE: I forgot the map!
UPDATE 2: 5:58pm CST.
Turning Nebraska blue.
LINCOLN - A mock election involving Nebraska school students painted the state in bluer shades than their folks.
The more than 63,000 students who participated in "Nebraska Student Vote" gave Democrat Barack Obama a 51-to-46 percent edge over his Republican rival, John McCain.
The students also gave Democrat Jim Esch a victory over incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Lee Terry in the 2nd Congressional District.
This is definetly a trend I've been noticing for the past 10 years or so. I'm a Dem but both my parents are GOP. The same could be said for nearly 90% of the Dems I know. Also, a generation ago, most liberals would move away from Nebraska, but now, Omaha is retaining a much higher percentage of them than it used to.
I've had a theory for a few years now that Saddle Creek Democrats would end up being influential in Nebraska politics.
It's starting to come true, too. Jim Esch lives in a loft above Saddle Creek's complex, the Slowdown.