Talk Elections

We had the one thread on socially liberal Bush states, so I started this poll. I can see a case made for any of these states. I'm caught in a bind between Pennsylvania and Michigan. Both of these states have a large number of populist "Reagan Democrats", although they like their union.

Pennsylvania has Scranton (Home of the Caseys), Erie, Leigh Valley, and the Pittsburgh area. Those have a lot of democrats, but they are more of the Bob Casey variety. That said, the Philly burbs are very liberal and are dominated more by "Allyson Schwarz" than Bob Casey.

Michigan has two pro-life democrats in Congress (Dale Kildee and Bart Stupak) and before redistricting had a third in Jim Barcia (Bay City) The Flint/Saginaw/Bay City areas always vote their union, but also send a lot of either pro-life (Kildee) and/or pro-2nd amendment (Barcia) reps to the state legislature and congress. The Downriver Wayne County suburbs are also heavily union and John Dingell (Pro-2a) country. Southern Macomb County is similar to Downriver. The UP and Northeastern Michigan reminds me of West Virginia. Formerly very democrat and now very independent.
There are some major social liberal pockets though. Southeastern Oakland County, East Lansing, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, and to some extent Lansing, Traverse City (City, not the Republican burbs) and Grand Rapids (City itself, not the burbs which are very Republican) are all socially liberal. 

New Hampshire is another case. "Live Free or Die" is one of the most pro-2nd amendment states in the country. I think the war cost Bush more than anything else here in 2004. 



 

Iowa.  I laugh at New Hampshire being on the list.

Definitely Iowa. Why they would have ever voted Democrat is a mystery to me.

Iowa- although it wasn't a Kerry state.

Iowa

Of the two-time states, Wisconsin.

New Mexico.

I have no personal experience there, but I'm not sure that its Iowa. Its not part of the bible belt and they consistently elect Democrats (except Sen. Grassley).

I voted Michigan, with PA and NM as runners up.

M&C is right about New Hampshire not belonging on the list. They are economic conservatives, not social ones.

I've always gotten the impression that Iowa is part of the Bible belt.  It has one of the highest church attendance rates, at least.

Yes, Iowa tends to be a populist state.

I didn't know that, it doesn't seem like a very organized-religion type state to the extent that Tennessee or Arkansas are.

My impression of Iowa is partly b/c I know someone from there, and I remember her saying that its not as conservative a place as people think it is. Its not liberal by any stretch of the imagination, just centrist.

1. New Mexico
<considerable gap>
2. Michigan
3. Iowa
<considerable gap>
4. Pennsylvania
5. Minnesota
6. Wisconsin
7. New Hampshire

Michigan is socially moderate, but not conservative by any means.

If I were to rate Michigan on the political matrix I'd put it at -2 E, -1 S.

Iowa, Wisconsin, and New Mexico are all quite socially conservative. Pennsylvaniaand Michigan would be, too, if it weren't for their big cities (Philly and Detroit, respectively).

New Hampshire is socially libertarian (not the same as socially liberal), and thus doesn't really fit on the list.

Wisconsin

Iowa, or maybe Michigan.

Iowa isn't a Gore/Kerry state.

It's a Gore state, but not a Kerry one.  It depends on your interpretation of Gore/Kerry.

Iowa, even though it went for Gore and not Kerry.

Iowa.  No notably socially liberal pockets unlike Pennsylvania and Michigan.  I must say a good deal of our social liberalism comes from suburban Republicans in PA.

suburban voters in Pittsburgh, Erie, Scranton, Reading and Altoona are not social liberals

Iowa City and the Quad Cities.

Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, Waterloo.. these are all pretty liberal areas in Iowa. 

And I wouldn't call Iowa part of the Bible belt.  People in Iowa go to church, but they overwhelmingly go to Lutheran and Catholic churches, which hardly push social issues like in other states.

People in Iowa are typically traditional, but they are more open minded than in other places.  I recently viewed a documentary on Postville, IA, a sleepy farm town in NE Iowa.  In 1988, a Hacidic Jewish couple moved there from New York and opened a kosher meat processing plant.  Something like 60 familes followed.

Postville, IA has the highest concentration of Rabbis of any city in the world.  Along with the 400 jobs provided by the new kosher plant, came many Mexican immigrants.  While most of the residents were wary of the "new comers", they seemed willing to open up.  The reactions by many "native" residents was not a reaction like you might think of in Mississippi.. it was the same as what you would hear in rural Massachusetts.

Iowans, while driving slow and generally being over the age of 80, are probably the most liberal of any plains state. (Southern and western Minnesota not included).

Are you referring to real Michigan, or Detroit? :P  Michigan outside of Wayne county goes 52% for Bush.

Haha. I'm referring to the state as a whole. Obviously Detroit would be further left than the numbers I cited (especially economically), while the rest of the state would indeed lean slightly to the right if Detroit were to secede.

Of course, if I wanted to play that game, I could say that Ottawa and Kent counties shouldn't count as part of the "real Michigan". :)

Upon rediscovering this thread, it appears most people here do not undestand Iowa. It may be the answer to the question, but part of the Bible Belt? Uh, hardly (outside of those Calvinist whackjobs in the northwest), and mopeopel don't understand the cities at all if they think there are no socially liberal parts of it. Are any of you familiar with Iowa City?

Iowa also has quite a few rather good strip clubs from what I hear.

New Mexico. Not even close.

The T!

Upon reflection, I think Lewis is right - New Mexico.  Iowa?  Populist farmers or not, I'm not quite sure what I was thinking.

Three people voted for NH? What the hell?

NM

New Hampshire.

Wow, no wonder you think Santorum would beat Casey nationwide.

Iowa or Pennsylvania...tough to pick

I keep forgeting that sarcasam doesn't read well over the internet.

Having lived in PA since I was born nearly a quarter century ago, I can easily say that if it weren't for Pit or Phi, then PA would be alongside Alabama for the most conservative state. The dems in our state are more your union type democrats who are socially and fiscally conservative. The only Obama counties west of Harrisburg were Allegheny and Erie. Mind you McCain did better than Bush did in Allegheny County even though he lost and Bush won the actual election.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, home of my favorite Senator, Mr. Bob Casey YA DIGG!!!!!