Fears that racism and the culture wars might keep blue collar Iron Range voters from supporting Barack Obama have proven largely unfounded. Though Obama just slightly underperformed Kerry in some of the key precincts I’ve been following, he was within roughly two percentage points of the 2004 DFL share of the Range electorate. In general, there were fewer raw voters on the Iron Range than 2004, owing to our ongoing population loss.
Al Franken, on the other hand, performed about 10 percentage points behind the 2004 Kerry numbers, though he did significantly better in classic Range towns like Hibbing.
The headline: Barack Obama carried my home precinct of Balsam Township by five points!
It will take some time to pour through the data and I have to go to my “real job” now, but I can offer this brief snap assessment. The DFL voters on the Iron Range held strong for Barack Obama despite fears over racism. Any slight losses from 2004’s numbers could be attributed to population loss just as easily as anything else. Issues matter. The economy matters. And the Iron Range will not be bamboozled.
I am proud to be an Iron Ranger today.
WE NEED TO STOP NORM before he becomes a pork-producing Minnesota institution.
Minnesota needs to end its battered-spouse relationship with this man. He doesn’t love you; stop voting for him!
Voter fraud is wrong, David.
You get credit for a great incoherent rant.