Missouri, was always a considered a bellwether state. Having voted for every winning presidential candidate, since 1904, with the exception of 1956, when Missouri voted for Gov. Adlai Stevenson, instead of the victorious Dwight Eisenhower. Now, at a period of time when traditional red states, such as Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia voted not just for a Democratic presidential candidate, but also, one who would go on to become the first African-American President of the United States on 01/20/09, it was certainly a shocker to see Missouri go red.

Among, the reasons that Missouri went Red, instead of Blue are:

The Nader votes: 17,787 (0.6%), Sen. Obama’s votes: 1,439,338 (49.3%), Sen. McCain’s votes: 1,444,326 (49.4%) {Certainly, once again the egoistic Mr.Nader had something to cheer in 2008, after having Gore loose New Hampshire and Florida (along with Bush dudes) in 2000.

Now, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) won the state’s senate seat in 2006, with the percentage of 50%- to- 47%, which wasn’t large, but certainly proved that Missouri definitely held its Democratic grass roots. Unfortunately, the presidential results of Sen. Obama’s results have always been compared with John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, who lost the state 53.30%- to- 46.10% to G.W.Bush. However, what is important to take into consideration that John Kerry’s campaign in the state of Missouri was less aggressive as compared to senator Obama’s, and even closed several rural offices in the state just three weeks prior to the Election Day.  So, the true comparison between Sen. McCaskill’s 2006 race and the presidential race of 2008 highlights, how even though the Obama Campaign registered several thousand new voters, several Democrats and independents who voted for Democrat Jay Nixon as Governor of Missouri didn’t vote for Sen. Obama in the same election.

The big question? How come in the Missouri state administration, you have 5 Democrats and 1 Republican, and yet the state voted Republican in the aspect of the presidential race, when it elected 4 Democratic officials (Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer in 2008)

The biggest surprising factor: Jay Nixon won the Missouri Gubernatorial race 58.4%-to- 39.5% beating Kenny Hulshof, and yet, your presidential candidate looses a tight race.

The dwindling population of immigrants in the state, and the increase in the evangelical votes.

At the end of the day, Sen. Obama lost the state of Missouri, almost by 1 and a half vote per precint.

You tell me, what the deciding factor in the state of Missouri was?

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