Delaware May Be a Bastion for Barack, But McCain Might Get the
Cold Shoulder
On June 3, the day of the Montana and South Dakota primaries and the last leg of the 2008 presidential primaries, Barack Obama took to the future stage of the Republican National Convention and announced his conquest of the democratic nomination. At the Dead Presidents pub in Wilmington, Delaware – enthusiasm for Obama for President was very much alive. On the other hand, finding a McCain supporter was like finding meaning in a Paris Hilton horror movie.
Wade Harvey of New Castle, Delaware, was one of those energized by Sen. Obama’s speech. “I am definitely an Obama advocate. I support him 100%. This is a revolutionary time, and I think it’s going to be a positive thing for the nation to have not only a minority, but also a very forward-thinking person as their nominee.”
“Barack will be good for the nation because people trust him, they believe in him.” Edward Szczerba Jr., a 26-year-old from Wilmington, had a lot of hope for the candidate of hope. “I believe he’s going to win the general election. Hillary rubbed too many people the wrong way with her Washington politics, and McCain has the same policies as the Bush administration. The country is ready for a Democratic president.”
“I’m very happy with today’s events. I’m looking forward to Obama running the outstanding campaign that he’s been running, and to voting for him in the fall. I’m Obama all the way in ’08!” Larry Lambert, an independent filmmaker from Claymont, DE, is also indie in another way – he’s registered as an independent voter. Although Larry couldn’t vote in Delaware’s closed democratic primary, he showed his support by volunteering for the Obama campaign. “As an independent, I couldn’t vote in the primary, but that didn’t matter at all. I still put in 10 hours for the campaign over the next two days before Super Tuesday, and hit the streets of Edgmoor to talk to people about Obama’s message. It was an outstanding experience…I have full faith in Obama and the change that his campaign represents.”
All-in-all, it was a pretty “blue” crowd out the night Barack Obama secured the Democratic Party’s nomination – and I don’t mean the mood. It may come as no surprise that the young bar-hoppers favored Barack – as most voters in Delaware feel the same way. Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton in the February 5thstate primary, taking 53% of the Democratic vote to her 43%. But what may be more surprising is how extensive Barack’s support is perceived to be in Delaware – among blues, reds, and purples alike. CNN has just released its first Electoral College Map of the 2008 election, which projects which presidential candidate will gain more electoral votes in each state. The states are organized according to color, with McCain-friendly states in red shades, the ambivalent swing states in yellow, and the Obama-supportive in blue. Of the 50 states, 10 are deemed “safe” electoral bets for Obama – including the fearsome Democratic tag-team of New York and California. And wouldn’t you know it; among these Democratic strongholds is Delaware – bluer than Tobias Funke in a pair of jean cutoffs.
Wade, a 26-year-old Widener University law student, argued his case that the United States has a legacy of change – and that Obama is the most qualified to bring it. “The status of the nation has always been promoted through people’s openness to change. Right now the U.S. needs a lot of change, and [Obama] is the one that can do it with his policies and ideas.”
Edward also claims history provides a necessity for change – but cites President Bush’s mistakes, rather than the Founding Fathers’ example – as reasons for vote for Obama. “After Bush people are looking for something new. [Barack Obama] is new, fresh, and brings about change. I think he’ll be the best to bring our troops home from the war, and give us a fresh start.”
“Eight years ago I would’ve voted for McCain, but this time around it’s not going to happen,” stated Rich Hoff, a 28-year-old small business owner from Claymont. Rich is a registered Republican, but he’s having cold feet about voting for McCain – and might even switch over to the blue. “McCain has sold out his values to adhere to Bush’s policy. He’ll succumb to neoconservative ideals once he gets elected, and that to me indicates he’s not an honest man. I think Obama seems like a good man, and he has the potential to do good things, but he is still a politician. He says he can bring the country back to its former economic status, and I for one hope he does.”
Although Barack Obama has an edge in Delaware – this doesn’t mean John McCain’s campaign is dead – yet. Although Republicans are outnumbered in Delaware, McCain’s influence is considerable enough to make the Democrats glance over their shoulder. Before John McCain was declared the presumptive Republican nominee, he won Delaware’s primary in a decisive Super Tuesday victory. 45% of Delaware Republicans voted for McCain, while only 33% chose runner-up Romney.
“I’m surprised Delaware is considered such a strong blue state. To hear it lumped in with super liberal states like Vermont, California, and Massachusetts – it doesn’t make much sense to me.” Lauren Christie, a 23-year-old registered Democrat from Wilmington, doesn’t think her party is as strong as it’s rumored to be in Delaware – and swears that a certain 71-year-old candidate is a lot cooler with the kids than you’d think. “I think it’s considered cool and badass for young people to be conservative now. I’ve met a lot of people in high school and college who think the Republican Party is associated with wealth and status, and want to be identified with it. I think more young people will vote for McCain than you’d expect.”
But Rich isn’t as optimistic. He hasn’t decided yet if he’ll be voting on November 4 – but he’s certain it’ll be a cold day in Delaware for John McCain. “It doesn’t really matter either way if I vote or not because Delaware is a blue state. Therefore, even if I did vote for McCain, it’s a wasted vote.”
- Stephanie Woods