[lbo-talk] Answering my own question

Chuck Grimes cgrimes at rawbw.com
Thu Dec 4 09:42:07 PST 2008


To answer my own question.... Here's the vote count on Prop 8 for Alameda County:

Yes: 180,363, 38.20%

No: 291,740, 61.80%

From:

http://jamesewelch.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/california-proposition-8-vote-analysis-by-county/

Here's a clip from wiki on Oakland:

``According to the 2000 U.S. census, Oakland and Long Beach, California are the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States, with over 150 languages spoken in Oakland.''

Since nobody seemed to like my smoking on the church steps story and ad hoc survey, here is the US Census profile on Alameda County:

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06001.html

If there was going to be a systemic socially conservative effect issuing from racial or ethnic or immigrant minorities, such an effect should have shown up in the votes. If there was going to be any effect of a rising middle class among these groups, and such a rise in class status and expectations to conform to a more socially conservative profile, that should have shown up. I don't see it.

I have no explanation for why this particular area is more progressive, liberal, tolerant, easier going, or whatever, than most of the rest of the state or country. The only possible explanation I can come up with is the raw diversity of the place.

CG



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