If God himself had designed a jurisdiction for the sole purpose of supporting Barack Obama, it might look something like Washington, D.C. The majority black population across the city, the elites in Georgetown, the college kids at GW and American—you have to look hard to find the enclaves that don’t support him. No surprise, then, that he won it. (NBC has called it; CNN hasn’t.)
Still, it’s worth nothing that he beat Hillary on her home turf. I mean that: You could argue that Washington, D.C., is as much Hillary’s home town as Little Rock, Ark., or Chappaqua, N.Y. No, the District never elected her. But she lived in D.C. for eight years, compared to eight in New York. That would make Obama’s D.C. win his first victory in Hillary-land.
It’s hard to extrapolate much from his victory without knowing specifics —how much he won by, who voted for him, and why. Did Hillary represent in Hispanic areas of Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan? How about the rest of white D.C.? Was Obama’s margin any less than expected?
Symbolic victories are overrated—and the District primary commands only 15 pledged delegates—but it can’t hurt to know that if you do end up in the White House, you’ll be surrounded by friends.
