The Fight for a Nebraskan Electoral Vote

Nebraska and Main both award one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district. The candidate who wins the whole state gets the additional two electoral votes. Never since these states implemented this plan has a candidate wrested a congressional district in either Nebraska or Maine from the winner of the whole state, so the issue has been moot to this point.

Apparently, Nebraska's second district really is play. Obama has had an office and 15 paid staff in Obama since August. It's now opening a new office there. But the proof that the Republicans are concerned is that Sarah Palin is going to hold a rally in Omaha Sunday evening.

Nate Silver at 538.com has a fascinating analysis of the effort to win Omaha. He ends it with, "Consider Omaha in play."

On a personal note, I was born in Omaha. Most of my extended family lives there, and though I moved to California when I was seven, I have spent immense amounts of time in Omaha over the years and know it very, very well. I would be delighted were my natal city in a very Republican state help to make Barack Obama president.