One word: Mormons.
I should do some actual research to check but that would be my strongest guess for ID and UT; WY might have to do with oil biz too. MUCH less oil biz in MT and no idea about the Dakotas.
I believe it was after the 2006 election when the Stranger, a Seattle weekly, ran a piece on western states trending purple, heavily democratic in cities (sizewise, a comparative concept.) and still solidly red in rural areas. There are substantial numbers of Mormons in MT and the Dakotas too, but a much smaller percentage of the overall population. DoreneC Seattle WA On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 12:53 PM, John Thornton <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net>wrote:
> Doug Henwood wrote:
>
>>
>> On Nov 11, 2008, at 123 PM, Shane Taylor wrote
>>
>> I posted the Times piece because it seems to be more data in favor of
>>> Thomas Schaller's larger argument (Doug interviewed him a while back). I
>>> don't think this guarantees party dominance. I simply think it suggests that
>>> a long-running strategy for winning has run out.
>>>
>>
>> Share of white vote for McCain
>>
>> Alabama 88%
>> Mississippi 88%
>> Louisiana 84%
>> Georgia 76%
>> South Carolina 73%
>> Texas 73%
>> Oklahoma 71%
>> Arkansas 68%
>>
>> North Carolina 64%
>> Tennessee 63%
>> Kentucky 63%
>> Virginia 60%
>> West Virginia 57%
>> Florida 56%
>>
>> California 46%
>> Connecticut 46%
>> Minnesota 46%
>> New York 46%
>> Vermont 44%
>> Massachusetts 42%
>> Vermont 31%
>>
>
>
> Any explanation for why Idaho (65%), Utah (66%), and Wyoming (68%) have
> much higher rates than Montana (52%), North Dakota (55%), and South Dakota
> (56%)?
> Those are the only non-southern states over 60% and demographically they
> aren't that different from their neighbors.
>
> Freakishly my current residence (MO) is still undecided!
> 49.4% to 49.3% which I believe makes this state the closest race of any
> state.
> Obama is 4,968 votes down on McCain. That's less votes than either Nader,
> Barr, or Baldwin received.
> Last I heard we shouldn't expect a winner to be announced here until the
> end of the month.
>
> John Thornton
>
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