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• Wednesday, February 6, 2008 07:10 AM

  Electoral Map

  I voted for Hillary, but it was very close for me. I alternate between voter's remorse and confidence that I chose the right candidate. I am one of the people who identified with Rebecca Traister's last column. Finally, I chose the person who I felt would be a better president, although I feel Obama is probably a better candidate.

  Last night and this morning, I was thinking about the electoral map. I live in Alabama where Huckabee narrowly beat McCain and Obama trounced Clinton. That tells me that, at least in this state, support for McCain is soft and support for Clinton is non-existent. Conventional wisdom says that Huckabee voters will stay home in a McCain-Obama contest, but will get out the vote for McCain over Clinton.

  Alabama doesn't matter. I don't think Obama can carry Alabama. But what about swing states with strong evangelical populations? What about Tennessee and West Virginia? The Democrats will need to expand their support outside of New England and California to beat the Republicans in the fall. In a year that seems like a can't-lose for the Democrats, are we nominating a candidate that so alienates red-state voters that she reproduces Kerry's loss in 2004? What was I thinking to assume that any year could be a can't-lose for Democrats?

  When it comes down to it, I think Obama has a better chance in November than Clinton. I think Obama is a candidate who can win discouraged Republicans over to the Democratic side, and there are a lot of discouraged Republicans this year. Clinton can't do that.

  Personally, I was heartened to take another look at the map this morning and see that Clinton carried Tennessee and came very close to winning Missouri and New Mexico. She will need these states in the fall if she is the nominee. Exit polls show she did well among Hispanics. Maybe the Hispanic vote will decide the election this year.

  Arrrgh! I so badly want the Democrats to take my country back that I can't think about anything else!

  (I guess if Michigan and Florida could do it over again, they might not mind having a late primary this year.)

  —jtanneru Read jtanneru's other letters
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