As I have said before, Virginia is changing - albeit not quickly enough - and Barack Obama managed to capitalize on that change. True, the forces of the reactionary forces of the past (including a strong anti-gay contingent) still reign supreme in some areas such as the southwest part of the state and the southern tier running along the North Carolina border, but the older cities and Northern Virginia now have enough votes to override these forces. Here is a breakdown of how the older cities voted (a complete breakdown is here):*
Norfolk Barack Obama and Joe Biden 70.69%
*
Roanoke Barack Obama and Joe Biden 60.96%
*
Newport News Barack Obama and Joe Biden 62.63%
*
Portsmouth Barack Obama and Joe Biden 66.81%
*
Hampton Barack Obama and Joe Biden 67.19%
*
Charlottesville Barack Obama and Joe Biden 78.46%
*
Petersburg Barack Obama and Joe Biden 88.64%
*
Even in the Republican bastions of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, McCain/Palin failed to get a full to 52% of the vote. Adding to the Obama win are the crushing win of Mark Warner against Jim Gilmore and Glenn Nye's defeat of Thelma Drake. The big question will be how this will translate into next year's state elections here in Virginia and whether the Democrats can regain enough power in the House of Delegates to push through more progressive legislation.
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