It should be noted that this was one of his father's best states while Clinton lost it huge in 2008.
Obama lost states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Michigan, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California huge in the 2008 primary season, and he still won each.
If you graph Obama-Kerry swing versus Obama primary percentage, you notice that, with a fairly high R^2 value, Obama gained roughly one percentage point in the general election for every 4% increase in primary performance. That would not have much of an effect on deep blue states during a Democratic year, but it may play more of a role in a close election in a state that is usually within a few points of the national average.
Poll
