Florida, traditionally Republican, reports 50.8% for Obama, 48.4% for McCain. All counties have reported in but official results will not be announced for several hours. Absentee and mail-in ballots have not been added to the totals yet, but it is likely that the proportion will remain the same.
Turnout across the state was high, approaching 70% before absentee and mail-in votes were tabulated. 
A Swing District
An Epoch Times reporter talked to voters in Winter Haven’s traditionally Republican district 332. This district went overwhelming ly Republican in the primaries, but seemed to be leaning towards Obama in the presidential poll.
Jim Campbell, who is self-employed, voted for John McCain.
“I appreciate his history and I think he has the experience to do the job,” he said. When asked if about the campaigns each candidate ran, he replied, “I didn’t really pay too much attention to their campaigning because they’ll say anything; they’re politicians.”
“I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin,” said Suzanne German, a teacher in Winter Haven. When asked why she chose McCain and Palin, she responded, “Let’s just say I didn’t like the opposition, the issues the opposition stood for.”
Ms. German was a strong supporter of Sarah Palin. “I like her assertiveness, I like her aggressiveness, and if we are talking about change in Washington, I think she is the only one who can give it to us. I see her as somebody who is looking out for the American people, and she’s willing to go to bat for that. I don’t think she is as partisan as some people would think she is, I think she’s out for what’s right for the good of the American people and she is willing to go for that.
Alisha Kent, also a teacher, voted for Barack Obama. “Obama is just a better choice than McCain,” she said. Ms. Kent singled out the two candidates’ positions on abortion as being particularly important to her.
Karl McDonald, a Mental Health Associate at Winter Haven Hospital, voted for Obama and Biden. Mr. McDonald felt that “Obama and Biden had more to offer to the United States of America in the condition that it is in,” and he did not want another Republican to be running the nation for another four years.
Mr. McDonald felt that Obama would strengthen the United States, rather than put it further in jeopardy, which he feared McCain’s policies would do.
Mr. McDonald made his decision based on watching the candidates during the televised debates.
James Jennings also voted for Obama/Biden. An electrician by trade, Mr. Jennings was “ready to get out of Iraq. The $10 billion a month [we spend there], with where our economy is, makes me furious. I don’t see McCain doing anything different than the path we’re on.”
While Iraq was the most important issue, Mr. Jennings also felt strongly about Sarah Palin. “After watching her in the debates, it scared me too think that if anything happened to McCain, she would be President.”
McCain supporter Michelle Giroux, a dental radiology instructor, described the candidate as, “A good solid man for our country; he is reputable, and he is not going to increase our taxes.” She felt strongly that both campaigns were too negative, a comment repeated by many voters.
Juan Rovira, an employee of communications company Allegheny industries, voted for Obama
based on his health care plan. Mr. Roviro said, Each candidate has good things, but having kids, it was Obama’s health care plan that put me over the top.” Mr. Roviro also disliked the negativity of both campaigns.
Jacob Scott, employed by a building cleaning company, supported Barack Obama. He made his choice based on the candidates’ economic programs. Mr. Scott felt that “Obama was willing to hand out a little more, and McCain was willing to pocket a little more.
Mr. Scott was upset that the Republican Party spent so much money on Sarah Palin’s campaign wardrobe. “$150,000? It could have gone to a lot better causes.”
Dianne Shelton, a bookkeeper, chose McCain “Number One, for the economy, and Number Two, for the war in Iraq. I believe he will not have us running away with our tail between our legs and I don’t think that he will sell us out to nations that are unfriendly.””
When asked if any aspects of the campaign really pleased or angered her, Mrs. Shelton said she was annoyed because she saw a website that showed Barack Obama making a rude finger gesture towards John McCain while delivering a speech congratulating McCain, and that another website showed Obama making the same gesture towards Hilary Clinton. “It has not gone unnoticed by good Republicans like me,” she said.
Mrs. Shelton brought her sixteen-year-old daughter to the polling site; both were strong supporters of Sarah Palin. “I think that the fact that Sarah Palin is a working mother is a wonderful thing. She is much smarter than people think, and she really knows how to manage a family and a career, and I admire that.”
Obama supporter Eric Currier owns two small businesses. “I think he is more for the working people,“ Mr. Currier said. He added, “I don’t like the Vice President of John McCain.”
Housewife Rhonda Waples also voted for Obama. She liked that Obama talked about “how we need to sit down and have communication with other countries instead of not having any communication there. “
While she felt communication with all other nations was the key issue, she also mentioned that Obama seemed to be “more of the people, and he could relate to the everyday person, working his way up to where he is today, unlike others who have had everything given to them, and who don’t have any clue what is going on out here; the price of gas or a gallon of milk or what it takes to take care of a family.”
Mrs. Waples thought the campaigns were too negative. “In any campaign, I hate the mudslinging,” she said. “I hate them being negative about everything. I’d rather each candidate come out and state exactly what they stand for and what they don’t stand for. I just want to hear the positive things that each candidate can bring to the United States.
One Obama supporter who asked not to be identified said, “We need a change, we need a definite change in the country. Bush has really bummed us out.”
Nicole Yawney, who works for a management firm, prefered Obama’s tax and health care plans, “because health issues are pretty important when you don’t have health insurance. It seems [Obama] has a better plan to look out for the regular people. Taxing health care, to me just seems ridiculous.
“I like the way he campaigned, too,” she continued. “He wasn’t laughing at the other guy too much, while making was making fun of [Obama.]
“Also, he’s not a war guy;“ she went on. ”I know a lot of people are saying, ‘But what if we get attacked?’ but that is what the support structure of government is for. Obama will have all the generals advising him of what to do. I know that’s why a lot of people were going to vote for McCain, but I am not worried about that.”
Mrs. Yawney came to the polls with her teenage son. Neither of them were favorably impressed with Sarah Palin. “She goes on about ‘Drill, Baby, drill!’ when there are so many better sources of energy,” she said.
One McCain supporter who chose not to give his name said he supported McCain because of McCain’s tax policy. “I don’t think it’s fair, whether you make more money or less money, for five percent of the population to pay over sixty percent of the taxes. I am sure they work a lot of hours to make that money. This gentleman objected to all the name-calling in the media.
Heather, who works in the tourism industry, voted for Barack Obama. “First of all, we need to get out of Iraq,” she said. “I think it’s just a disaster. We need to either get out and start over or get out altogether.”
One gentleman, who identified himself only as a conservative Republican, felt that John McCain was badly served by his advisers. “People were not voting for Obama so much as against Bush,” he said. “All of his advisers were Bush people.” The gentleman said that the McCain of 2008 was nothing like the McCain of 2000. “McCain made himself into Bush’s boy.”
