Analyzing The Results
Obama, McCain And Huckabee Find Early Success With Rural Voters
By Greg Lemon, 1-09-08
In the Iowa caucus Mike Huckabee was able to garner the most rural support among Republicans. In New Hampshire primary, it was John McCain who found success outside the city for the Republicans. On the Democratic side, Obama received the most rural support in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
Huckabee finished first in Iowa, ahead of Mitt Romney and John McCain, while winning 38 percent of the rural vote, according to Daily Yonder in an article published last week. Romney garnered 23 percent of the rural vote, while McCain got 12 percent.
But McCain came back in New Hampshire, winning both the primary and a large percentage of the rural vote. At the final tally McCain finished ahead of Romney and Huckabee in a large part by dominating in the rural areas of the state. McCain won 40 percent of the rural vote, while Romney earned 26 percent and Huckabee 13 percent, according to Daily Yonder, a “daily multi-media buffet” of everything rural, in an article published today.
In Iowa, Obama won the caucus with John Edwards finishing second and Hillary Clinton coming in third. The split among rural voters in Iowa was close between Clinton, Edwards and Obama. Clinton earned 31 percent of the rural vote, while Edwards got 32 percent. But it was Obama who took top honors with his rural contingent earning 34 percent of the vote.
In New Hampshire, Obama finished second to Clinton, but still did better than her in the rural areas. Obama won 39 percent of the rural vote, while Clinton got 31 percent.
The key question for the leading campaigns is can they continue to attract rural voters Feb. 5 or Super Tuesday, when primaries and caucuses are held 22 states for Democrats and 21 for Republicans. Several of the states weighing that day have significant numbers of rural voters: Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
One has to be careful when talking about Obama doing well in Iowa's urban areas. Yes, he won "rural" counties in the eastern part of the state. But those areas, while defined as rural by the census, are not what we think of as rural in the west. They are fairly heavily populated and tend to be better off financially.
Those areas are very, very different from the southern rural areas of Iowa where Edwards won. Those places are poor and, in Iowa terms, fairly isolated from population centers.
The southern rural areas are a lot more like the rural areas we have in the west.
"Democrat" is really a noun, not an adjective. (Despite the White House's campaign to the contrary.) So it should be "Democratic side."
Comment By Joe, 1-09-08Heck, if we're going to edit this post, consider this:
"In Iowa, Obama won the caucus with Hilary Clinton finishing second and John Edwards coming in third."
Greg, come on. If you are going to blog, you really ought to know who finished second and third, and you might want to spell the former first lady's name right.
That is really sloppy saying Clinton came in second in Iowa. That major error puts every other statement in this article into question.
Comment By Greg Lemon, 1-10-08flounder, Joe and Sutton ... Thanks for holding me accountable. I've made the changes.
Greg Lemon
Thanks! That was fast.
Comment By Joe, 1-10-08Thanks. Sorry to sound like an ass. Must remember that bloggers have feelings too.
Comment By sutton, 1-10-08Yes, if I'd known there'd be a pile on, I probably wouldn't even have left my comment. Funny the comments that can feel SO important to make as you read the internet late at night...
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