2008.02.12
Roanoke goes for Obama and Huckabee
Roanoke has spoken, and the winners in the Star City are Obama and Huckabee.
Results first, analysis second.
Democrats:
Obama 5,998
Clinton 4,402
Republicans:
Huckabee 2,394
McCain 1,397
Here’s what I notice in looking at the returns on a precinct level. Clinton carried the two places I had identified as swing areas -- she took four of the six Williamson Road precincts (older, less affluent) and four of the five Raleigh Court precincts (middle-class areas, for those not familiar with the city). And, she won in some of the Southeast precincts (blue-collar neighborhoods). So how did she lose overall then? She lost because Obama stayed close in many of those precincts. And then he won by thunderous margins in the African-American precincts (example: Eureka Park, where Obama won 425 to 63.) He also won the two South Roanoke precincts, perhaps the city’s most affluent precincts by a total of 486-275. That profile pretty well matches how things have gone nationally.
The Republican side is a lot simpler tonight. Huckabee won all by two of the city’s precincts. He lost only in South Roanoke #1 and South Roanoke #2.
-- Dwayne Yancey, Senior Editor
