Obama has significant lead in Oakland County

Obama leads Oakland poll Edge in prominent county, plus expected support of Detroit voters, may give Dem enough to carry Mich.
Gordon Trowbridge / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Barack Obama holds a significant lead over John McCain in bellwether Oakland County, according to a new Mitchell Poll that shows a potentially decisive advantage for the Democrat in a key county.

Obama leads Republican McCain 48 percent to 42 percent in Oakland, according to the poll of 400 likely Oakland County voters conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 and Oct. 6 by Mitchell Research & Communications. That edge, if it holds up, would make it very difficult for McCain to win the state. In 2004, John Kerry carried Oakland -- the state's second largest county -- by fewer than 3,000 votes, and won the state. And Al Gore won Michigan in 2000 despite carrying Oakland County by less than 2 percentage points.

"An Obama lead by this margin in Oakland County is significant," said pollster Steve Mitchell. "It shows how strong Obama has become since the Wall Street crisis and the indecision by John McCain about going to the first debate." Click here for the rest of the story.

The Oakland Press covers the battle in Oakland County

Being part of the excitement of the race this year for Democrats, I know Oakland County is the center of the battle for Michigan. As of today, Barack is up as much as 14 points, but it's only poll and he can't win without Michigan. Come help us at the Rochester office, 6841 Rochester Road, at the corner of Rochester and Tienken. We are open every day Mon.-Sat. 9-9 and 12-7 on Sunday. We have lawn signs, buttons, bumper stickers and shirts.

Time Magazine: Oakland County Ground Zero

Time Magazine profiles Oakland County, Michigan as the new battleground for presidential politics.

Thursday, Jul. 31, 2008

Michigan Blues

By Amy Sullivan/Royal Oak

The New Battlegrounds Oakland County, Mich.

To get a fix on just how thoroughly the slumping economy has clobbered the state of Michigan, consider first some traditional indicators: Nearly 300,000 manufacturing jobs have disappeared in the past decade. Ford just posted the worst quarterly loss in its 105-year history, and GM announced it was closing or converting plants. More than 1 of every 20 mortgages is in or near foreclosure, and at 8.5%, Michigan's unemployment rate is the highest in the nation.

But to fully grasp why the economy is the first, last and only issue on the minds of Michigan voters this year, one fact reveals all: two months after the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, there is no waiting list for season tickets.

Michigan has gone Democratic in every presidential election cycle since 1988--but it could surprise this time around. While Democrats usually benefit when economic concerns dominate an election, Barack Obama is running only a few points ahead of John McCain in statewide polls, a margin neither side considers safe. Adding to Obama's challenges is the fact that several of the state's Democratic leaders are wildly unpopular, under indictment or both.

The battle for Michigan is coming down to leafy, affluent Oakland County, a once solidly Republican bastion that has grown more Democratic in recent years. Oakland is one of the new battlegrounds of 2008--a handful of counties in must-win swing states that weren't pivotal a decade ago but are where the election will be lost or won this year. Though nearby Macomb County gave rise to Reagan Democrats nearly 30 years ago, it is the more upscale Oakland that holds the key to Michigan now.

Directly northwest of Detroit, Oakland County is the center of wealth in Michigan--it's where Eminem moved after he made his millions--and has escaped the worst of the prolonged slump. When the Pistons relocated from Detroit, they chose Auburn Hills for their new home. Mitt Romney grew up in Bloomfield Hills (which may move him up the list of likely McCain running mates) and attended Cranbrook, the county's toniest private school. Madonna (but not her accent) hails from Rochester Hills.

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Oakland Democratic Politics Blog Debuts

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