Could Obama have won GA in 2008?

[GAinDC]

Early in the campaign, he tested the waters here but ultimately decided to focus on winning other states.

Knowing now that Obama only lost GA by 5 points with no investment, and that GA continued to trend leftward, could he have won it if he actually made a real play for it?

[Arizona Iced Tea]

He could have gotten it a bit closer, but demographically I doubt he could have won the state. Obama already won every state he could have except Missouri and maybe Montana.

[Agafin]

5% is not a small margin to overcome for an inelastic southern state. The state had record black turnout and he effectively won all of them (97% or so I believe). There wasn't really much higher he could have gone.

[wnwnwn]

Maybe with a southern VP and some covered campaining attacking McCain from his right.

[Pres Mike]

Had McCain picked Lieberman for VP, its possible enough social conservatives stay home to flip Goergia

[Electric Circus]

Obama achieved huge swings in favorable parts of the state, of which the Atlanta metro counties were just the crown jewel. He did this without bleeding too much support even in the least favorable rural areas. McCain still won by a decent margin.

The coalition that has since made the state winnable simply wasn't there yet in sufficient numbers to win, and Obama did about as well as he could with what was left of the old one.