The Bluing of Ol' Virginny, is a tale that began in earnest two years ago with the election of a Democratic governor (Tim Kane) replacing a democratic governor (Mark Warner), and the election of a strong, centrist Democratic Senator (Jim Webb) to replace a religious conservative (and self-exposed racist) senator (George Allen).
This time it moves into a higher gear with the resounding defeat of another Republican religious conservative and former governor (Jim Gilmore) in favor of freshman senator Mark Warner. Senator elect Warner won with margins usually reserved for popular incumbents.
In this atmosphere, enter the campaign machine of Barack Obama. Much speculation was given to the loyalties and leanings of various constituencies in this election; none, perhaps, more so than the military. And one thing is absolutely for certain, Virginia is a military state. Home to the largest military port on the Atlantic Ocean as well as the U. S. Marine headquarters in Quantico. Areas of the state with concentrated military populations voted overwhelming for Obama.
Add to this a solid Democratic majority in the suburban Washington, D.C. northeastern portion of the state, and you've only one other major population center in Virginia to dominate: the capital, Richmond. Obama took Richmond by 79.2% and the sister city of Petersburg by 88.6%!
Finally, looking at the map you see a lot of red, especially in the west and southwestern regions of the state. But appearances are deceiving. Virginia, unlike any other state in the union, shares local jurisdiction between a system of county and city governments. They operate as separate entities, with the cities often representing the lion share of the population within the county area. There are approximately 35 city jurisdictions, and Obama captured victories in 80% of these population centers. A sampling includes:
Harrisonburg with 57.5%
Danville with 59.2%, and
Roanoke with 61.2 %
These victories are in no small part the result of a great ground game to get out the vote, and in cases like Harrisonburg, the home of James Madison University, a strong youth vote.
In the Old Dominion state, everything came together to deliver to the Democrats a state that has not gone Democratic in a presidential election since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
In a final thought about this year in Virginia, the delegation to the House of Representatives has also seen quite an amazing shift to majority Democratic. The Democrats picked up 3 seats (one open and two by defeating incumbents). The shift means that instead of 8 Republicans and 3 Democrats; there will be 6 Democrats with 5 Republicans. And neither of the defeated Republicans was on anyone's shortlist as being vulnerable.
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