Obama's popularity rising in S.C.?

[ccharles000]

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama may be struggling to maintain support nationwide, but in the predominantly Republican state of South Carolina, he's not doing too badly.

Nearly 48 percent of adults who live in the Palmetto State approve of Obama's performance as president, a Winthrop University poll found.

That result was a slight improvement over the 45 percent of South Carolinians who voted for Obama in November 2008, when Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain carried the state with 54 percent of the tally.

"I like the way Obama handles himself," said Jerald Bailey, a retired real estate appraiser in North Augusta. "I like his speeches. I like his family. I'm proud of how he represents the United States when he travels. I think he's doing a really great job. Our country is much better represented and has more esteem in the world than it used to."

http://www.thestate.com/2010/02/25/1173745/obamas-popularity-rising-in-sc.html

[mwb970]

1. At last, something that reflects well on the residents of SC.

The news from SC has been pretty one-dimensional of late. My thought is, it can't be that bad.

[CLANG]

2. Maybe it's time to call S.C. a "purple state"?

K&R

[GoCubsGo]

3. Yes, it is.

There are a lot of northern retirees moving here, and I think that's a big part of it.

[madmax]

4. Ditto for NC

We moved here 2 years ago. Always meeting people from 'up north' and more moving down all the time. I like to think we help Obama win NC in 2000. ;)

[Stevepol]

5. How are the votes counted in SC?

The writer just assumes that the 45% who voted for Obama represents the support for Obama in the state at that time. But if the vote was counted as it is in most states, on some form of electronic vote re-routing machine, how does anybody know what % voted for Obama? Obama might have actually garnered 55% of the vote in the election and the new numbers might be a decrease in support. Who the hell knows?

Until we have a democracy again, there's no way to make any statements based on election results that have any validity whatever.

When the voted is counted in total secrecy without verification, it's impossible even to have a democracy, much less make sophisticated deductions based on elections conducted un-democratically.