On Fri, 30 Jan 2009, Gallup was quoted in line with the subject heading:
> <http://www.gallup.com/poll/114016/State-States-Political-Party-Affiliation.aspx>
And not only are there only five, but none of them are in the South.
In contrast, only five states had solid or leaning Republican
orientations in 2008, with Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alaska in the
former group, and Nebraska in the latter.
This doesn't seem to make any sense. McCain won lots of states that are counted Democratic here -- like, again, the South.
My takeaway from this is a similary widely quoted Gallup poll about how the majority was leaning Republican in 2002 should also have been taken with a bale of salt.
It seems like this "adding the leaners" metholodology produces a picture of mood at a given moment rather than political structure. (Note the famous 2002 Repug-leaning poll was taken in the wake of 9/11 and Afghanistan)
Perhaps it shows Obama and the Dems have lots of potential support for policy right this moment. But it doesn't seem to say much about future election possibilities.
Michael