Last week I rode the circuit (as the Laquedems and Farmers now call it) and did a 600-mile loop through Washington, seeing Uncle Farmer, My Aunt the Winemaker, and the Aunt of the Left (who was hospitable, as always, despite getting our phone call when we were two minutes from her driveway). All Washington residents, they shared with me their experiences at the Democratic caucuses this year.
The further detail from MATW and Uncle Farmer is that their caucus had 38 attendees, of whom two (then one) favored Senator Clinton and 36 (then 37) favored Senator Obama. They live in a rural area far from a city of any real size. The Aunt of the Left, by contrast, lives at the edge of Seattle's suburban sprawl and caucuses with a more urban crowd. Senator Obama's margin in her caucus wasn't as lopsided as in the snow belt caucus, but it was still significant: about 150 for Obama and maybe 65 for Clinton.
The more surprising news of the trip was the Aunts' agreement that the Aunt of the Right, a staunch Republican since 1946, is supporting Senator Obama also. The Aunt of the Right told me later that she isn't definite about supporting Obama, but she doesn't like any of the other candidates who are still in the race.
Never before, I think, has one presidential candidate attracted the support of Venerable Mom, Uncle Farmer, MATW, and the Aunts of Opposite Direction. Although they aren't a scientific sampling, they're diverse enough that a candidate who doesn't get the vote of even one of them doesn't have much of a chance.