Don Walton: North Omaha power

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Stunning figures.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the results from the Obama-McCain battle for the 2nd District presidential electoral vote.

Precinct 15: Obama 388; McCain 39.

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Precinct 17: Obama 592; McCain 39.

Precinct 19: Obama 403; McCain 10.

These are precincts in north Omaha’s 2nd Ward, the heart of Omaha’s African American community.

Precinct 20: Obama 387; McCain 11.

Precinct 21: Obama, 462; McCain 15.

Precinct 22: Obama, 628; McCain 27.

You get the picture.

In a close election in which the 2nd Congressional District’s vote was narrowly divided between Obama and McCain, you could make a case that north Omaha made the difference.

Glancing at the results in just 10 precincts, you quickly can find Obama’s margin over McCain exceeding 4,000.

Final results in the congressional district showed Obama the winner by 3,370 votes.

The lesson: Target areas and blocs of voters, register new voters, reach out to casual voters, identify supporters, get them to the polls and, if possible, get them to vote early to be certain the deed is done.

Mission accomplished.

Second lesson: Those who traditionally do not hold much power can wield the most power in a close election if they participate and band together.

End of an era

It’s awkward to write about another newspaper, but hard to let this pass without recognizing its significance.

The Omaha World-Herald has announced it will end same-day newspaper delivery in roughly the western half of the state in February.

The end of a statewide newspaper in Nebraska marks a huge cultural change.

It was one of the few visible statewide connections.

In a state that spreads 450 miles from east to west and encompasses 77,000 square miles, there aren’t that many.

In reality, it is the Huskers who are the tie that binds.

Of course, the Lincoln Journal Star and the World-Herald and every other information source with an electronic edition or Internet Web site is available online in every Nebraska household and business.

But so are newspapers in New Delhi and Cairo.  In terms of visible presence, it ain’t quite the same.

The printed newspaper is attempting to find its place in this new world, adjusting to change and new habits, bowing to the marketplace and to shareholders,  facing economic challenges and sometimes demonstrating suicidal tendencies as it struggles to make the distinction between reality and fear.

But if this is a contest between celebrating and clinging to the past or trying to understand and embrace the future, the choice is clear.

Hey, bring it on.

Look forward, not backward.

The only time that matters begins today. 

Run it up the flagpole

Wild idea.

A 2nd District Republican operative tossed another 2011 congressional redistricting idea on my platter last week.

It’ll take your breath away.

Because Washington County already is in the 1st District and bounds Douglas County on the north, why not extend the 1st District boundaries southward and snatch Omaha’s 1st and 2nd Wards?

Move north Omaha’s African-American voters into the Lincoln district to balance population among the House districts, thus avoiding the alternative prospect of considering separation of Bellevue and Offutt Air Force Base from the Omaha district.

Just an idea, he says.

All designed, of course, to make the 2nd District safer for Republicans in congressional elections.

Of course, it also would change the 2nd District presidential electoral vote battleground when Obama seeks re-election in 2012.

That’s thinking outside the box.  Somewhere between bold and brazen.

You may resume breathing now.

Playing with passion

Gritty. 

That’s the 2008 Huskers and their head coach.

Huge change from 2007, the year that almost destroyed Husker football.

Playing with passion again. 

No longer playing defense without a clue.

Making adjustments at halftime.  What a concept!

Who’da thunk nine wins?

Not me.

Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com.