▁narrow ▁wins ▁nation ally . ▁ ▁On ▁E lection ▁Day ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Ob ama ▁won ▁the ▁Buck ey e ▁State ' s ▁ 2 0 ▁elect oral ▁votes ▁by ▁a ▁margin ▁of ▁ 4 . 5 9 %. ▁Ob ama ' s ▁win ▁in ▁heavily ▁populated ▁areas ▁such ▁as ▁C uy ah oga ▁County ▁( C leveland ), ▁Franklin ▁County ▁( Col umb us ), ▁Lucas ▁County ▁( To led o ), ▁Mont gom ery ▁County ▁( Day ton ) ▁and ▁the ▁tradition ally ▁Republican ▁Hamilton ▁County ▁( C inc inn ati ) ▁greatly ▁contributed ▁to ▁his ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁McC ain ▁did ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁Republican ▁base ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁and ▁western ▁regions , ▁composed ▁of ▁relatively ▁rural ▁areas ▁combined ▁with ▁C inc inn ati ▁and ▁Columb us ' ▁heavily ▁Republican ▁sub ur bs . ▁In ▁addition , ▁McC ain ▁won ▁all ▁but ▁one ▁county ▁in ▁the ▁App al ach ian ▁sout heast , ▁mirror ing ▁the ▁troubles ▁Ob ama ▁had ▁throughout ▁this ▁region . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁Ob ama ▁did ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁base — C leveland ▁( where ▁he ▁won ▁almost ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote ), ▁Young st own ▁and ▁the ▁heavily ▁union ized ▁count ies ▁next ▁to ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁significantly ▁improve ▁upon ▁John ▁Ker ry ' s ▁performance ▁in ▁these ▁areas . ▁More ▁surprising ly , ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁C inc inn ati ▁and ▁Columb us ▁gave ▁him ▁strong