Obama and Oregon: More in common than 'O'

[DeepModem Mom]

AP: Obama and Oregon: More in common than 'O'
By JULIA SILVERMAN
Associated Press Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon is fertile ground for Barack Obama, the self-described "change" candidate. The state that has led the way in everything from bike trails to assisted suicide is also the first to vote entirely by mail. Oregon's 2 million-plus voters began receiving ballots more than two weeks ago, and 22 percent have returned them, according to the secretary of state's office....

Election officials said turnout appears to be strong in Portland, its populous suburbs, and Eugene, home to the University of Oregon. That bodes well for Obama, who has drawn large crowds in stops in those places and who has outperformed Clinton among urban and young voters throughout the primary....

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Portland and its suburbs seem tailor-made for Obama. Residents are liberal-leaning, upwardly mobile, well educated and strongly opposed to the Iraq war. About 45 percent of the statewide Democratic primary vote in recent elections has come from the Portland area.

Obama will not be able to count on the kind of big turnout from black voters that has boosted his vote totals in some southern states. Blacks account for only 1.7 percent of Oregon's population, compared with 12.4 percent nationally, according to the Census Bureau. Also, the rest of the state is not as young or as hip as Portland. Overall, Oregon's population is slightly older and has a slightly lower income than nationally, 2006 census data shows.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who is backing Clinton, said her visits to the state have helped raise her profile with the state's voters....Obama's campaign has opened 20 offices across Oregon compared with Clinton's 10 and has drawn on an enthusiastic volunteer corps for weekend canvassing and door-knocking. The campaign claims to have registered 30,000 new Democrats, including former independent and Republican voters....

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Campaign operatives from both sides say female voters are key. Women are about 56.6 percent of registered Democrats in Oregon and tend to vote more reliably than their male counterparts....

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[Mme. Defarge]

1. It's all about the "O"! n/t