KENTUCKY AND OREGON RESULTS-- PLUS CLAY COUNTY

When I woke up this morning CNN had a little feature of Clay County, Kentucky. I was only half-awake so I don't recall exactly how many people they interviewed but I'd guess that-- apart from the normal-looking mayor or Manchester, there wasn't a full set of teeth between at least half a dozen people. I'm usually sympathetic when I see a place mired in poverty and misfortune-- and, although Clay County is mired in both, sympathy isn't what the CNN report drew out of me. I'll explain in a minute but let me give you some of the facts first. Clay County is the poorest county in Kentucky and the 18th poorest in America, most of the poorer ones being desolate Indian reservations. The per capita income is $9,716.00. As of the last census the population was 24,556, of whom around 15,000 are registered to vote-- 13,092 Republicans and 2,013 Democrats. That's right. Clay County, dirt poor, rampant unemployment and it's overwhelming Republican.

The county is also 94% white and 40% are living below the poverty line. Early this morning CNN was making the point that there was scant interest in today's election in Clay County. Today 649 Democrats voted (32%) and 2,569 Republicans voted (19.6%). Hillary took 85% of the Democratic vote and McCain took 74% of the Republican vote. On the Senate side Lunsford got 48.5% of the Democratic vote and Greg Fischer got 26.2%.

The first and the last person they interviewed was a kind of elderly obese woman sitting in a cheap restaurant sharing her tales of woe. At the end the reporter asked her what she thought about Hillary Clinton. She started shouting about the Bible and how a woman's place is in the home.

That said, Kentucky Democrats gave a corrupt Zell Miller type quasi-Democrat, Bruce Lunsford, their nomination for the U.S. Senate, virtually guaranteeing another term for an even more reactionary and more corrupt Mitch McConnell. Statewide 459,093 (65.5%) voted for Hillary and 209,869 voted for Obama (30%). On the GOP side, McCain took 142,836 (72.5%) and the runner-up was Huckabee with 16,367 (8.3%). Obama, in losing to Hillary, took more votes than all the Republicans combined.

In Oregon we were following several races but let's get the presidential race out of the way. As expected, Obama won. With 50% of the returns counted, Hillary took a few remote counties but Obama won all the big ones for a 58%-42% win. He took 9 delegates to her 2. Tomorrow's NY Times: "Under the rules used by Democrats, Mr. Obama’s showing in Kentucky and his victory in Oregon appear to be enough to allow him to secure a majority of the delegates up for grabs in primaries and caucuses." And it looks like Senator Chuck Hagel will be the Republican foil for the treacherous Joe Lieberman expected to transform himself into Zell Miller at the GOP Hate Fest this summer. "The Republican Senator from Nebraska was a political thorn in McCain's side on Tuesday night, repeatedly lavishing praise on the presumptive Democratic candidate and levying major foreign policy criticisms at the GOP nominee and the Republican Party as a whole. At one point, Hagel even urged the Arizona Republican to elevate his campaign discourse to a higher, more honest level."

It looks like Jeff Merkley beat Steve Novick 45-41%. Blue America will have Jeff on at FED Thursday evening. But my favorite race of the night was for the useless right to represent the GOP in the congressional race in OR-05 (to fill the seat of retiring Democrat Darlene Hooley). Mike Erickson, after being exposed as a coke freak and pervert, beat the favorite, Kevin Mannix. Erickson is expected to lose to Kurt Schrader in November.

Watch Obama's speech tonight in Des Moines:




UPDATE: OREGON GOP CIVIL WAR

Loser Kevin Mannix has refused to endorse the coke sniffing abortion practioner Mike Erickson (backed by the Oregon anti-choice loons). "I cannot support a dishonest man," he said. No word on how he plans to handle McCain's candidacy.