UPDATE:

Kentucky (42 percent reporting):

Clinton: 221,330 (57%)

Obama: 152,645 (39%)

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One of the things the talking heads keep talking about tonight is the way Hillary Clinton's win tonight in Kentucky seemingly continues to indicate Barack Obama's difficulties in winning over white working-class voters. That's emphasized by the 2-1 proportions of the victory so far in the tallies.

But I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that Obama is going to win Oregon handily tonight, with an almost equal number of delegates at stake. And I'm struck by the difference in the nature of how the two states are being discussed.

Because Oregon certainly is home to nearly as many white working-class voters as Kentucky (it's 87% white in Oregon, and 90 % in Kentucky). Moreover, the outcome of the primaries throughout much of the West run along similar lines: Obama has run away with the votes in places like Idaho and Wyoming, and is likely to repeat that in Montana -- none of which are exactly renowned as havens of African American voters. In Washington state, Obama won the caucuses in every single one of the state's counties.

It doesn't seem to me that Obama -- who also moves closer to clinching with those Oregon delegates -- has a problem with white American working-class voters generically. Looking at the results, it seems he mostly has a problem with white voters in Appalachia. Elsewhere, whites seem perfectly comfortable voting for him.

... In the meantime, the interesting race to watch tonight in Oregon is the Democratic primary contest between Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick. Both are excellent candidates with an excellent shot at taking down Republican Sen. Gordon Smith. We'll keep you updated.