Obama Won 62 Out of 72 Wisconsin Counties

Just went through the CNN links and Obama won 62 of the Wisconsin counties where CNN listed totals, vs 10 for Clinton. He won solidly in Milwaukee and Madison, of course, but also won overwhelmingly in the smaller counties, and won in every corner of the state. This means conservative rural voters, and suburban soccer dads and moms and workers in beleaguered manufacturing towns. Add in that by himself Obama won almost a quarter million more votse than all the Republicans combined, and that the Democratic electorate was 58% female and 63% over the age of 45 (including 29% over 65) and you have a serious watershed victory.

Obama's actually been doing this for a while, with Clinton's initial lead resting on her insider connections, massive name famliarity, and a compressed schedule which allowed Obama to make more than the most cursory visits to the supertuesday states. Following his initial Iowa victory, Obama had time for just three brief visits to California, one to New York State, one to Massachusetts, two to New Jersey, one each to Arizona and New Mexico, and none at all to Tennessee, Arkansas, or Oklahoma. As he continues to broaden his reach in each successive caucus or primary, Wisconsin should answer any lingering questions about his potential range of support. The only question now is how much damage Clinton will do before she finally hits the wall and quits.

Author Soul of a Citizen and The Impossible Will Take a Little While (www.paulloeb.org)