July 4th: red, white and BLUE!

The latest Rasmussen poll puts Obama ahead for the first time in Montana, 48% to 43%.  That's a 10% swing from the prior poll that had McCain ahead by 5.

Though a small gain of three electoral votes, it nevertheless represents a crack in the red monolith that's long been the West -- with the exception of chardonnay and green chili Colorado and New Mexico.

As predicted in earlier posts, Montanans have lived up to their reputation as self-reliant free thinkers among otherwise knee jerk Republican Westerners.  With its sterling Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer, and its 'New Democrat' freshman ally of Webb and McCaskill, Senator Jon Tester, it's likely that Montana has swung permanently into the Obama camp.

What's really noteworthy is that, by conventional wisdom, Montana should be bedrock McCain country.  Its population is 90% white, 6% Native American, 2% Hispanic and .3% black.

Is it a coincidence that today finds Senator Obama and family in ... Montana?

Obama and family spend Fourth of July in Montana

Associated Press
2 hours, 23 minutes ago

It was a family Fourth of July for Democrat Barack Obama as his wife, daughters, sister and other relatives helped him make an Independence Day play for this reliably conservative state.

Obama paid tribute to a nation in which the son of a single mother could rise to such heights.

"I know that there is no other country out there where I could be standing before you as somebody who could potentially be president of the United States," he said at a campaign-sponsored "family picnic" for hundreds of people - part rally, part birthday party for his oldest daughter, Malia, who turned 10 on Friday. "We are going to change the world."

Cheers greeted Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters everywhere. As they arrived to watch the Fourth of July parade, the crowd broke into a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Malia.

Obama joked that he had to tell the birthday girl not to get caught up in all the fuss.

"All the fireworks and stuff are not just for her," he said to laughs. ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...

Let's celebrate by updating the electoral map.  If the election were held today, per the most current state polls, Obama would beat McCain 320 to 218.

Fireworks are definitely in order.

Comments