Crikey. I just got canvassed by the good guys in OKLAHOMA CITY.

[Can o Beans]

I live in an upscale area on the NW side of town, and am pleased to report that two fine young progressives (obviously lost and thinking they were in Oregon or something) came by and gave me the Obama dog-n-pony. I flashed my DU credentials, asked how things were going, and was pleased to hear that the 39% of citizens here who are not mentally deranged had been giving them a great experience, and they were making headway with the hyperchristofacists in the neighborhood by appealing to their portfolios. :wow:

All in all, quite a pleasant surprise for a rainy afternoon in the state that matters least to the outcome of the election.

[featherman]

1. Oklahoma and Utah were the only states in which not a single county went for Kerry

A little election factoid

[Can o Beans]

4. There are a surprising number of O signs here this time...

But you are right - there is virtually no way even one county in Okla goes blue, especially given the overt racism that continues here.

I think the canvassers are more concerned about getting O votes to the polls in order to give Andrew Rice a chance than anything...

[featherman]

11. Not so sure none will flip this year - Coal, Cherokee, Choctaw, and McIntosh counties

were all fairly close - 55-45 or less. We might pull out a couple of these this year.

[Can o Beans]

16. Yeah, I had wondered about Cherokee, especially

given the ethnic minority population combined with the highly educated (NSU) and working poor. Maybe that could flip. Hey, anything is progress. In the meantime, I wait longingly for the day that a person could wear a Vote for Change shirt in public in Tuttle or Elk City without getting shot at.

[a la izquierda]

22. How 'bout Cleveland?

I'm guessing that a lot of OU students probably vote in their home districts, but come on, the grad students and the profs are overwhelmingly in the bag for Obama...I don't know, I've been gone about 3 months now. My husband tells me my neighborhood (a block from OU's campus) has bunches of Obama signs.


Anyhow, hi ya'll from Mexico. The locals get a kick out of me when I sit in a bar rooting for the sooners.

[tulsakatz]

12. not to mention that this is in the Bible belt......

I think that has as much to do with it as being bigots!

Oklahomans will believe anything if you tell them you're a christian!

On the other hand, I'm the exact opposite. If someone tells me they're a christian, I figure they must want something.....otherwise they wouldn't bother telling me.

[Can o Beans]

14. I am in the belt - YOU are in the buckle.

I feel completely sorry for you with all of the ORU/Rhema crowd making laws for you over there. It's a scary place to grow up.

[tulsakatz]

18. yeah, tell me about it!!

I've lived here all my life........mostly I just tolerate them. But I really, really hope this is the year we get to kick Inhofe out!!

[lisa58]

2. were they from Oklahoma or were they bussed in?

[Can o Beans]

5. From Norman...working the northwest side...

[crispini]

3. Yay, Okie volunteers!

We'd send you some blue but right now we don't have a lot to spare ourselves. We will, though. :D

[Can o Beans]

7. No doubt...

I don't envy them. They said they have had a lot of slammed doors and overt cursing thrown their way, but were surprised at the extent to which people are willing to listen and ask questions.

[No Elephants]

6. Oklahoma has a visceral memory of the Dust Bowl.

[Mz Pip]

8. This election is

being won on the ground. That personal contact is important. When people see Obama supporters as members of their community, as parents of their kid's team mates or school mates, as members of their church or sewing club they can be turned around.

They think, "Wow, I just talked to Bobby's mom and she's an Obama supporter. Bobby is a really great kid. Maybe Obama isn't that bad afterall."

This is the kind of work that works. It has much more impact than an ad or a newspaper article because it's personal.

[Can o Beans]

13. I think you are right...

the social networking technique really does matter, and is allowing us to lay infrastructure in places we really have no business playing (thanks Dr Dean!).

Still, you would die if you heard some of the vitriol coming from otherwise regular people. A friend of my wife was telling her that she "had trouble sleeping all night Sunday because she heard Obama was ahead and might win the election..." When my wife asked why, it was because he is linked to Al Qaeda, and is going to remove all forms of godliness from public life (from In God We Trust off the money, to forcing churches to pay exorbitant taxes in order to suppress their budgets and thereby force small ones to close). According to her, he is all about advancing the Muslim cause and making us a Muslim nation.

Go figure. My wife just laughs, but these are really quite normal people...

[cynatnite]

9. My Grandpa lives in Del City...

Unfortunately he watches Faux noise and believes EVERYTHING it says. I love the old man dearly. *sigh*

Oh, I went to grade school in Moore. :hi:

[SoonerPride]

10. I also live in an upscale area of NW OKC

near Rockwell & Memorial

My neighborhood is 70% Obama (based on yard signs).

But I know we're in a red meat state. *sigh*

[Can o Beans]

15. We're two miles apart...

The ratio of Obama/Biden signs in my 'hood is roughly 1:1. Still, as soon as you leave this area in any direction (and the years of formal education decline sharply), you end up in Hellfire Jesusland, and there is no hope of even taking 15% of the vote.

[SoonerPride]

17. ah, I think it'll be 60 M /40 O

but we still are greatly outnumbered.

*sigh*

[Can o Beans]

19. I am not sure the Dems could win OK with a Switzer/Stoops ticket

But it would sure be fun to watch, eh?

[SoonerPride]

21. Well, I think Switzer helped secure the Governorship for Henry, so who knows?

If he came out can campaigned for Obama, we might only lose 55/45.

HA!

[lady raven]

20. Hi from about 90 miles north!

In what is, I believe, the reddest county in the state, where I seriously doubt I'll see a Democratic canvasser.

That is great to hear that there is SOME blue in this state.