You might have to adjust that map, as with 95% reporting on Oregonlive, Novick won Multnomah by "only" 12% and Clatsop and Benton by less than 1% each, whereas Merkley won each southern and southwestern county by over 15%.

Just goes to show you that even in Oregon, dump alot of out-of-state funding on a candidate and you can buy any election you want.

Kari,

Okay, mea culpa. It is difficult to accurately discern the colors, but I assumed that because you have a category that says "Novick +15%" that meant that such a county actually existed, and that the darkest county was that color (i.e. Multnomah), because such "blowout" wins do exist for Merkley (i.e. all the southern and SW counties I mention). My mistake.

Great map, Kari. But yes, the contrast might be better.

Seriously, what's up with Lake? The Oregonian gives Merkley 57% and Novick 4%, while SOS won't report it at all. But it's only 300+ votes overall, so not a big story.

Kari didn't sound too hungover on Thom Hartman's show this morning.

Speaking of election party drinking, what was up with no local beer at Sam Adam's thingy? Just PBR, Amstel Light and Corona. Not the best way to for the mayor-elect to support the local economy.

For those who haven't seen themthis website has red-purple-blue cartograms of the 2004 presidential election.

I like the cartogram. I think someone should make a blank version of it for use in future discussions.

Let's all put our bickering aside and help Jeff Merkley beat Gordon Smith!

I'm starting to get the feeling that the DPO is always backing the 'establishment' candidates...This wasn't just the DSCC pumping wads of cash into our election, was it?

This is bitterly disappointing, and I was hardly engaged in the campaign beyond recognizing the obvious: Novick is a liberal. Was Merkley really more inherently appealing to rural and small town voters than Novick, from Cottage Grove? No, but the DPO and its DSCC overlords can throw more money at those votes. This is a perversion of Dean's 50 state strategy, pushing a moderate out in front of a liberal in a very liberal state. Isn't one moderate senator (Wyden) enough for Oregon?

Let's NOT put our bickering aside. For the presidential race, sure, but we need to get our ducks in a row at the state level -- we can't let big business keep perverting our elections here in Oregon.

No more out of state money in Oregon primary races!

Thanks for the cartogram, Kari! It is good to remind ourselves we live in a democracy, not a "geocracy", except for oddities like the electoral college, which should never-the-less be depicted with a cartogram reflecting electoral college votes:-)

The DPO didn't give any money or institutional support to either candidate. The DPO does not participate in primaries. Really.

I know you're disappointed that Novick lost. He's a smart, charismatic, driven guy. He'll be back. Don't poison his future chances by attacking the people who will be his donors and volunteers.

"Novick is a liberal."

"Isn't one moderate senator (Wyden) enough for Oregon?"

Nice cartogram, Kari.

If the above is CW, which I believe that it is, then why did Jeff (the moderate) get the Blue color and Steve (the liberal) get the Red color?

I would have to disagree with calling Wyden and Merkley moderates. There's no perfect system of comparing the ideologies of senators, but the National Journal's vote ratings is the most commonly cited. Wyden, according to their scoring model, is the 12th most liberal person in the Senate. More so on foreign policy and social policy than on economic policy. Perhaps that's what was meant, though, that he's a liberal on social policy and foreign policy, but an economic moderate.

So that's the list that ranks Obama as the most liberal Senator, above Kennedy, Clinton, Kerry, and all the others. Interesting...