How much better did Obama do than Kerry in Utah.

[ccharles000]

Over all-

John McCain beat Obama 62% to 34% compare that to Bush beating Kerry by 71% to 26%. Obama did 8% better than Kerry. I think in the long run Utah will go blue as it is one of the fastest growing states with a growing number of hispanics.

The percent that Obama improved on Kerry in each county-

Box Elder County-5%

Beaver County-3%

Cache County-9%

Carbon County-4%

Daggett County-8%

Davis County-8%

Duchesne County-3%

Emery County-4%

Garfield County-7%

Grand County-6%

Iron County-5%

Juab County-2%

Kane County -8%

Millard County-3%

Morgan County-5%

Piute County-2%

Rich County-4%

Salt Lake County-11%

San Juan County-8%

Sanpete County-4%

Sevier County-5%

Summit County-11%

Tooele County-8%

Uintah County-1%

Utah County-6%

Wasatch County-9%

Washington County-4%

Wayne County-5%

Weber County-8%

If Utah keeps on this track we should see a blue Utah one day(lets hope).



http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. Pssst. They were running against different people four years of GWB apart. nt

[karynnj]

2. That comparison reflects that 2008 saw a rejection of Republicans because they shifted their opinion

on the way the country was going. ANY Democrat running in 2004 would have done worse than ANY Democrat running in 2008.

Why?

In 2004 in a Gallup poll on the eve of the election - 59% of people said the country was doing very well or fairly well. In 2008, over 80% said the country was going in the wrong direction.

Now, as to the future - 2008 was a protest vote against the Republicans. They lost many people who ALWAYS vote Republican. These people did not all suddenly change their value systems.By 2012, the anger at the Republicans is likely to have been spent. If the economy and people's sense of security doesn't improve, there is a very good chance that Republican conservatives who were not close to Bush could win the Senate or House seats that are in normally Republican areas.

[jbnow]

3. Not sure about Utah but it wasn't just anti-bush

that caused loss of republican votes, there were republicans that really liked Obama, especially more educated ones...as well as getting new or rare voters to the polls.

McCain was not bush...though they agreed on many major issues.

I knew several republicans who voted for Kerry but it was anti-bush and they said things like they were "holding their nose" to vote Kerry.
In 2008 I knew even more who voted Obama and it wasn't hating McCain (though there were age concerns) or nose holding, it was wanting to vote for Obama. I heard a lot of things like "I don't like many of his liberal policies, but he'll really do what he believes is right" or whatever. Many of them had nice things to say about McCain, they just liked Obama's intelligence, thoughtfulness and other qualities they talked about.
On the other hand I know a couple of republicans who were sure he was the anti-christ so he definitely lost as the crazy republican vote.

[LiberalFighter]

4. It was a combination of different factors.

Kerry not the same as Obama. Kerry was a boring speaker too.
8 years of Bush is too much for sane people.
The economy.
6 years of war.
Bush wasn't running for his 2nd term.
The age difference between McCain and Palin the wacko.
McCain was irritating.
McCain supported Bush what percentage and he advocated change? Yeah right!
Obama ran a better campaign.
Obama ran in practically all 50 states.
Obama signed up new voters and got them out to vote.
Obama selected a better VP.

[karynnj]

7. I actually met Republicans who voted for Kerry because he was Kerry

-including a WWII vet, who took the time to read the entire 1971 transcript - and who "saw where he was coming from" and that he was a "good Person'. I also met a main line Republican, who voted for Kerry because -- Teresa married him. This woman was formerly a PA native.

I also know a couple who are swing voters who in 2004, disliked Kerry because he criticized a war we were fighting and how it was managed.

In 2008, I met many people terrified of Sarah Palin becoming President. I met liberals and moderates, who had previously liked McCain, but saw he was seeming to lose it. I also met many independents who liked Obama and saw him as a break with the last two decades.

Now, all those don't add to much - but they do show what well designed polls showed. In 2004, the country was NOT ready for change and Kerry was very much a BIG change. In 2008, the country was ready for change and Obama was CHANGE. There was very little in Obama's platform that wasn't in Kerry's and his Iraq plan was a variant of Kerry/Feingold having a longer time before withdrawal.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Obama did very good in Northeast Indiana even though he didn't win any of them.

Percent differences between Obama and Kerry
11.4 Allen
10.6 DeKalb
14.7 Elkhart
09.6 Kosciusko
10.6 LaGrange
11.6 Noble
10.7 Steuben
09.8 Whitley

Obama offset McCain's win difference from Bush in 2004 by 64,219 votes in the above counties.

In Allen County alone, Obama lost by only 6,530 votes compared to Kerry losing by 35,303 in 2004.

Obama won Indiana by 28,391 votes.

Barr received 29,257 votes.

Nader wasn't a factor this time.

[LiberalFighter]

6. Allen County (Indiana) voter turnout 1980-2008

Year*****Votes*******Percent Diff
1980*****118,898
1984*****114,975*****-3.3
1988*****114,935******0.0
1992*****121,577******5.8
1996*****110,751*****-8.9
2000*****114,973******3.8
2004*****129,451*****12.6
2008*****150,177*****16.0