PUB DEF » Election ‘08

Election Analysis (charts and graphs)

Antonio D. French — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:39:58 +0000

The City of St. Louis once again delivered for the Democratic ticket. From President to Governor to Lt. Gov, city voters proved themselves once again as the most Democratic county in the state.

The 6th, 21st and 27th wards delivered the most votes for Democrat Barack Obama.

The 16th, 23rd and 12th Wards delivered the most votes for John McCain.

North St. Louis’ ten wards delivered more votes for Barack Obama than the southside’s 13 wards or the central corridor’s five wards.

Sarah Palin: Even Worse Than We Thought?

Antonio D. French — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:31:27 +0000

So now they’re telling us Sarah Palin didn’t know the countries that make up North America or that Africa isn’t a country? WTF?! These people should be charged with treason for endangering our country like that.

Could Jay have done more for Obama?

Antonio D. French — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:52:53 +0000

As Democrats around the state begin to come down from the high of Barack Obama’s election as the next President of the United States, many are beginning to ask questions about what happened here in Missouri.

At the top of the list is how Jay Nixon got almost a quarter million more votes than Obama and if Nixon, sitting on a comfortable lead in the polls the last month of the campaign, could have done more to help the man who clearly helped him in urban parts of the state.

Barack Obama — 1,436,814 — Lost by .2%
Jay Nixon — 1,675,270 — Won by 18.9%

So what do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Another question is why couldn’t the Missouri Democratic Party better capitalize on what was clearly an ideal environment for major gains for the blue team?

And lastly, if Barack Obama, one of the most popular men in America, couldn’t win in Missouri, is there any hope for a black candidate winning statewide office anytime soon?

AND ONE MORE THING: What was up with the separate victory parties?

Blunt to Professor: Missouri McCain supporters aren’t racists

Antonio D. French — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:24:22 +0000

Gov. Matt Blunt today issued a fiery statement responding to remarks by a St. Louis University political scientist in a St. Louis Beacon article.

Professor Ken Warren told the Beacon that “unequivocally that the racist vote in rural Missouri cost [Obama] the state.”

“People don’t like to use that term, but what else do you call it? We have the data to support that.”

Warren, who conducted an exit poll for the Beacon on Election Day, noted that in the St. Louis area, Obama did better than Democrat Claire McCaskill did in her successful run for the U.S. Senate in 2006. But he was unable to get enough strength in outstate Missouri to defeat McCain, where McCaskill was able to match her urban showing with enough votes in rural areas to defeat incumbent Sen. Jim Talent.

“There was a redneck vote in the rural areas,” Warren said about Obama’s showing.

“Why did Obama not do as well as other Democratic candidates? Unquestionably, it was not over the issues. People don’t vote by and large on the issues. They vote on visceral responses.

“Why did they vote for Nixon, (Chris) Koster, (Robin) Carnahan — three white people — and not vote for Obama? There’s no question that in rural areas, they’re not going to vote for a black guy.”

In response, Blunt issued a statement saying Missourians voted for the candidate they believed best represented their views and values.

“Ken Warren’s allegation that President-elect Obama lost Missouri because ‘the racist vote in rural Missouri cost him the state’ is not only detestable, it is absolutely incorrect. Both the liberal New York Times and conservative Wall Street Journal published articles today on how race was a relatively minor factor in electing our new president.

“Like many Missourians I supported John McCain for President, but now is the time to put the contest behind us. Americans should rally together to support the next President of the United States Barack Obama and not make inflammatory statements that are untrue, offensive and divisive.”

Read the St. Louis Beacon story here.

21st Ward largest voting ward in north St. Louis

Antonio D. French — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:45:48 +0000

As the Democratic Committeeman of the 21st Ward, I’m proud to report that our ward has retained its title as the largest voting ward in north St. Louis by delivering 6,105 votes for President-Elect Barack Obama — just 41 votes shy of the prize of most votes for Obama, which goes to the 6th Ward (6,146 votes).

John McCain received his most votes out of south St. Louis’ 16th Ward — 3,092 (nearly 41% of the vote in that ward).

President-elect Obama’s victory speech

Antonio D. French — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:32:30 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

McCain’s very classy concession speech

Antonio D. French — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:31:37 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

And they said it couldn’t be done — Obama wins!!!

Antonio D. French — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:22:48 +0000

Barack Obama will be America’s 44th President. It’s been an amazing ride.

It seems so long ago that we were knocking on doors in the snow in Iowa.

MO exit poll: Obama won men & women, lost whites

Antonio D. French — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:22:57 +0000

CNN’s exit polls show Barack Obama won among Missouri women (53%-46%) and narrowly among men (50-49). While Obama expectedly won the black vote (just 14% of those polled) by 91%, he lost Missouri’s white vote 43% to John McCain’s 55%.

What does all that mean? We’ll see…

Long lines this morning on SLU campus

Antonio D. French — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:00:54 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.