Obama’s Path to the Presidency Could Run Through Scioto County, Ohio
It might be a good idea if Obama no longer declines when a local woman offers him the pride of her cuisine, such as a home-cooked sugar bun dripping in cream.
When they speak of the term Appalachia, people are usually thinking of West Virginia, Kentucky, and eastern Tennessee. But the culture and economic conditions of the Appalachian region extend well into western Pennsylvania and southeastern sections of Ohio. All agree that these two states are important in this year’s presidential election. Under many scenarios the voter outcome in Ohio could either give or deny the White House to Barack Obama.
The 2004 election illustrates the importance of Ohio. In 2004 George W. Bush won the state of Ohio by 119,000 votes. Had John Kerry defeated Bush in Ohio, Kerry would have won the presidency.
Scioto County borders Kentucky on the southern edge of Ohio. It has a population of about 80,000. This rural county is almost all white. There are farms here as well as industrial plants along the Ohio River. Almost 20 percent of the population is poor. The median age of the population is well above the national average.
Scioto County may be considered a voting model for much of the rural areas of Ohio. George Bush won a slim majority of the county’s votes in the 2004 presidential election. To do well in Ohio, Barack Obama at the very least would have to approach the vote totals that John Kerry received in Scioto County and in the dozens of similar counties throughout southern Ohio. About 35,000 voters cast their ballots in the 2004 election in Scioto County.
Obama’s problem in southern Ohio in the coming fall election is that in last spring’s Democratic primary Obama was blown out of the water in Scioto County. Hillary Clinton won there by a huge 81 percent of vote. Obama captured only 16 percent of Democratic voters. (Click Here to Read More)
