The Second District
Sept. 21, 2011, 7 a.m. ·
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Nebraska's current Second Congressional District
From inner-city residents to suburbanites and even a few farmers, Nebraska's Second Congressional District is home to a wide range of voters. Three years ago, Barack Obama narrowly carried this district, and under Nebraska law, its one electoral vote. But what do residents think now about how President Obama is doing, and how likely are they to support him again?
A sampling of busy people stopped in downtown Omaha and asked what they think about President Obama yielded a wide range of opinions ...
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In the 2008 election, then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama was awarded one of Nebraska's five electoral votes.
In 2008, Barack Obama surprised many people by carrying the Omaha-area Second Congressional District of Nebraska. Under the state's unusual law, that gave the Democrat an electoral vote from this otherwise heavily Republican state.
As the 2012 campaign approaches, the 2nd District could once again be an indicator of the president's prospects.
Before the 2008 election, the last time the Democrats got any electoral votes from Nebraska was in Lyndon Johnson's landslide victory over Barry Goldwater in 1964 ...
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Second Congressional District voters discuss their thoughts and feelings about President Barack Obama and his quest for re-election.
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Second Congressional District voters speak about their reactions to health care legislation signed by President Barack Obama.
Graphic by Hilary Stohs-Krause, NET News
Click here for a chart comparing party vote totals in Nebraska with Congressional District 2.
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Nebraska lawmakers changed the shape of the Second District this year through redistricting, moving Bellevue and Offutt Air Force Base into the First District, and adding western Sarpy County to the Second. That increased the Republican voter registration edge over Democrats from 5,949 to 8,595, according to Republican campaign manager Dave Boomer. But both Boomer and Nebraska Democratic Party Executive Director Jim Rogers said that even if current district lines had been in place in 2008, Obama still would have won the electoral vote.
- Oct. 8, 2008 - Fred Knapp and Susan Sharon, NPR: "Campaigns target two often-overlooked states"
In the runup to the 2008 election, the Obama and McCain campaigns were each trying to pick up an unexpected electoral vote -- Obama succeeded in Nebraska, but McCain fell short in Maine. - Dec. 15, 2008 - Fred Knapp, NET News: "Nebraska split raises Electoral College questions"
In light of Nebraska's split Electoral College vote in 2008, experts discuss the pros and cons of the system. - Feb. 23, 2011 - Fred Knapp, NET News: "Nebraska's electoral vote fight renewed"
Following Obama's success in capturing the Omaha-area electoral vote in 2008, Nebraska Republicans pushed to return to winner--take-all rules. The attempt failed this year, but the party has signaled it will try again.