Day Twelve.And the Palin interviews continue. It's strange to me that the RNC kept Palin AWAY from the media, in so many respects, and NOW she is on every channel. It might have behooved the Republican ticket if they had let the country see who she was BEFORE the election.
Or not.
Since the election ended, the analysis of the results has been frenetic...have you seen this map?
The colors indicate how 'different' things were in this election, compared to the 2004 presidential election. It was surprising to me for two reasons:
1) The vast majority - VAST - voted more Democratic (Democratically?) than last time.
2) One area of the country voted strongly more Republican than last time.
Guess where I live? Just pick the darkest red state on the map. Yeah, see?
An article in the New York Times commented on the reasons for this shift further right, in what is called the "Black Belt" of America.
I have my theories, especially having lived in the area for 16 years now.
I want to know what YOU think. Why did these states in particular lean MORE toward the Republican side, while the rest of the country shifted in the opposite direction? What are your theories?
8 comments:
I think it's always funny how people here in Arkansas will vote Republican for Pres at the same time that they vote Democratic for Mark Pryor (I didn't hehe) and Democratic for their state reps and state senators and 3 of the 4 US Congressmen are Dems too. Strange state. LOL
Very interesting map. You've given me something to ponder this afternoon. After looking at this map, I pulled up the map for VA. Interestingly, the map for VA is OVERWHELMINGLY red - only the cities/counties surrounding the larger metropolitan areas (Richmond, Charlottesville, VA Beach, DC) are blue. To make it even more interesting, I found out that my county was almost 70% McCain, and the facility in which I voted was 75% McCain. I was actually quite surprised that VA went blue.
I just love post-election analysis. Maybe you and I should be statisticians :D
If I can read this correctly, I am as red as you, though I voted blue...
I'm guessing it's because those areas are outperforming the rest of America on several economic indices.
I think the "blue folks" were simply woo-ed by Obama's talk of change.
Those in the red areas tend to be more conservative on issues. "The Bible Belt", right?
My county and the counties around us went for McCain by a wide margin (close to 70% for McCain). Folks here are conservative for the most part. But more voted for democrats than in the past, mostly just because of "change". They have all sorts of high hopes, yet when they talk, it's clear they hardly know anything about Obama, LOL! They heard "change" and went for it.
I'd love to offer up my great and intellectual theories on this, but the fact is that I don't know why. Where you live is impoverished and rather mixed between white and black, isn't it, same as me? All I can guess is that perhaps the areas that voted MORE Republican this time had been continuing to vote Democrat long after the rest of the country had moved towards Republicans and are simply continuing their pattern of being slightly out of step? I really don't know. The massacre for the Republicans of the past 2 elections was no surprise at all to me, but this shift towards the Republicans in the midst of all that is something I have no explanation for.
jay - very strange...and strange that such a poor state votes for the "money" party, too!
susaninva - I'm only gonna do it if they let me play with a cool map like John King has on CNN!
bond - sssshhh!! We're in the closet, you know! LOL!
m@ - dear, you are ever the smartass. Love it.
kila - what's bizarre is that I've always heard people "fear" change - or the unknown...yet you are right, the country overwhelming wants change.
memphis steve - actually, predominantly white...almost NO blacks in our area at ALL. I just think there is a phenom dealing with the belief that the Republican party is that of the Christian right...
Great bllog you have
Post a Comment