Why Indiana is so conservative ?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Like this: your theory is wrong

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Indiana is a Northern conservative state. That's odd...

No it isn't.

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Because GOP loyalties stretch back to the Civil War

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Not true

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Not true. Besides Lincoln was quite conservative (whereas Robert E. Lee was a liberal)

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Sure... the Corn Belt is very conservative... but that extends into Illinois, Ohio, etc.
The Gary-Hammond area is strongly Democrat BTW

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Civil War+Cornbelt=GOP

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah but Southern Indiana is more Democrat than most of the rest of the state.
The early Republicans were divided between the Radicals and the Conservatives BTW.

NH is a Republican state

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Indiana is so conservative for one simple reason:

It's the south, without the African-Americans.

Admittedly the northern lake area counties are part of the North and thus make Indiana a little closer to the center than the deep south (Carolinas, Georgia minus Atlanta, ala. , miss. , etc. ) if they all of a sudden lost all their African Americans.

Ohio and Illinois is much the same but they have far larger areas where the white folk are northern white folk, rather than southern white folk. Sorry if that seems offensive, but there really isn't a better way to put it, each minority type varies somewhat by region but caucasians vary wildly by region, some whites are new england liberals, and some are bible belt conservatives and the midwest is where they mix .

My theory on the Klan being so strong in Indiana is that they found it to be a haven of like minded people without too many of the people they hated (er ... still hate) being around.

Aaah... but the South of the state is more Democrat than the "GOP since 1856" Corn Belt

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Indiana can be (roughly) divided into:

1. Gary-Hammond (part of "Chicagoland" and the biggest steel producing area in the US)=Strong Democrat
2. South Bend and surrounds=Tossup
3. Indianapolis=leans Democrat
4. Southern Indiana=leans Democrat
5. Corn Belt=Very strong GOP (est. 1856)

Dunno where to put Muncie though...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Bush's margin of victory in Kentucky was unusually large... it'll come down this year I'd guess.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The most conservative part of Indiana is the Corn Belt (which extends into Ohio) and has been loyally Republican for 140 years.

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Doesn't Louisville count as a "big city"?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's got it's own Congressional District.

Kentucky is poorer than Indiania, BTW

[Filuwaúrdjan]

For income etc. try: http://nationalatlas.gov
For the "cornbelt" look at one of the national county maps on the Atlas (Western Ohio/Eastern Indiana... it's very easy to spot. Lots of dark blue)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Poor counties go Dem... usually...
The average income of a lot of states is exaggerated because urban income per capita is distorted by a few rich b*stards.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sorry I said that wrong...
I meant to add that income is all relative and so on.