WaPo: Independent Voters May Give Obama Edge in Iowa

[calteacherguy]

Independent Voters May Give Obama Edge in Iowa
By Shailagh Murray and Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, January 2, 2008; Page A01

<snip>

The survey found that more newcomers than regular participants could turn out on Thursday: Overall, 40 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers identified themselves as independents, the poll said, double the percentage from 2004, and 60 percent said they would be attending a caucus for the first time. Both groups preferred Obama.

Only a small portion of Iowa's approximately 600,000 registered Democrats have historically shown up on caucus night. Four years ago, about 125,000 voters participated in Iowa's Democratic caucuses; 19 percent called themselves independents. But from the outset of this campaign, Obama's campaign has targeted independents as intensively as it has registered Democrats, bombarding them with phone calls, direct-mail pieces and personal visits.

<snip>

Geoff Barrick, who works for an auto parts factory in Marengo and described himself as the "guy everybody wants," offered evidence that there is something to the Obama boom. He voted for Democrat John F. Kerry in 2004, Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and independent Ross Perot in 1992. This year, he is leaning to Obama.

"This is an earnest young man," said Barrick, gesturing to Obama as he shook hands with voters after a recent event in Williamsburg. "I think he's very electable."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/01/02/ST2008010200018.html

[TeamJordan23]

1. and in the General Election too.....nm

[jefferson_dem]

2. How anyone could oppose the recruitment of new Democrats into the fold is beyond me!

GoBama! You make us proud! :applause:

[murielm99]

3. Not only independents!

I have heard quite a few people around here who have never voted for a Democrat saying that they want to vote for Obama in the general.

Yes, this is Illinois. But I live in a very red area. I have spoken to quite a few fed up republicans. They are not interested in any of the other potential Democratic candidates, just Obama.

Is that happening nation-wide? What are people saying about him in other states?

I am not an Obama supporter. I have not yet committed. Of course I will support him and work for him whole-heartedly if he wins the nomination.

[killbotfactory]

4. He's poisoning our democratic gene pool

We don't win by bringing people into the party in the primaries, we do that by selling out our base in the general election and crudely pandering to the middle.

[fightindonkey]

5. Iowa Has The Lowest Turnout For Voting

Obama could never win, period.

[Flabbergasted]

6. kick