What makes Iowa so much more Democratic than Nebraska, Kansas, etc.

[Jacobtm]

My first thought in thinking about Iowa compared to neighboring states was that it doesn’t seem that it should be so Democratic. I would expect mid-western states to be more Democratic with greater Urban populations. 

Iowa and neighboring states’ urban population percentage:

Illinois: 89% (Dem)
Michigan: 75% (Dem)
Minnesota: 71% (Dem)
Kansas: 71% (Rep)
Nebraska: 70% (Rep)
Missouri: 70% (Rep)
Wisconsin: 68% (Dem)
Iowa: 61% (Dem)
North Dakota: 56% (Rep)
South Dakota: 52% (Rep)

So clearly there is an overall trend towards more urban pop=more Democratic. But Iowa has something else going on, being very white and not very urban, what is unique in Iowa to make their rural white voters choose Democrats when neighbors with similar demographics don’t?

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0029.pdf

[pbrower2a]

Iowa(see also Minnesota)  has more dairying than ranching. States to the west have more ranching. Dairying is more labor-intensive, and those who tend cattle are more like industrial workers than are ranch hands.

[memphis]

The Mississippi River.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Is this thread for real?

[old timey villain]

I've wondered it too. From an outsider's perspective, it seems that it should be pretty strong R. But it's a lot like Minnesota in that it has a large Scandinavian influence that makes it more progressive. Remember, Minnesota is unique in that some its most rural areas are the most D while the suburbs provide the bulk of GOP voters.

Farming also isn't as large of an industry anymore either. A lot of high tech jobs have moved in which has also contributed to its more democratic tilt.

[All Along The Watchtower]

I've wondered it too. From an outsider's perspective, it seems that it should be pretty strong R. But it's a lot like Minnesota in that it has a large Scandinavian influence that makes it more progressive. Remember, Minnesota is unique in that some its most rural areas are the most D while the suburbs provide the bulk of GOP voters.

Farming also isn't as large of an industry anymore either. A lot of high tech jobs have moved in which has also contributed to its more democratic tilt.

Those elements really aren't that significant, IMO.

[WhyteRain]

A historical-cultural book, Albion's Seed, indicates that the flow of Puritan emigrants to the West followed the Great Lakes and ended in Iowa.  (Obviously there was then a "jump" across the Rockies to the Oregon Territory.)  Maybe that's why Iowa votes like New England.

Btw, excellent book, though a little dry, especially if you're not into cultural-history:  http://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-Cultural/dp/0195069056

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

LOL, I literally just posted a thread about this.

[Devils30]

I think the scandinavian influence explains it well. Fewer scotch-irish

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Is this thread for real?

Some sad individual actually reported the above post. Can you believe that? This forum is going to the dogs.

Anyways, what this thread really shows (above anything and everything else) is that life outside major metropolitan areas might as well be on a different planet as far as most here are concerned.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri are all swing states, and Minnesota kind of is.  I think the reason is a lot of Upper Midwest sentiments on many social and economic issues.  People talk about the religious conservatives in Iowa, but they're only really powerful in the state Republican Party.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

College kids recruiting in Iowa City and Des Moines make it much more democratic as a whole than NEB etc.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

A historical-cultural book, Albion's Seed, indicates that the flow of Puritan emigrants to the West followed the Great Lakes and ended in Iowa.  (Obviously there was then a "jump" across the Rockies to the Oregon Territory.)  Maybe that's why Iowa votes like New England.

Btw, excellent book, though a little dry, especially if you're not into cultural-history:  http://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-Cultural/dp/0195069056

Iowa doesn't really vote much like New England, at least not anymore.  It's a swing state, after all.

[User157088589849]

Iowa is a dairy farming state like wisconsin. nebraska texas ranching. 

[HIthere]

Hey, an old Iowan here.  Grew up in Cedar Rapids and got my degree from Iowa State.  Got my commission and served in the Navy after that, and I got some words about Iowa:
I wonder where all the dairy references are from.  Sure, there were a great number of dairy farmers in Iowa (like my great-grandfather), but right now there is an abundance of pig farmers and corn growers in Iowa. It used to be that you could have 200 head of cattle and do great.  You can make just so much more money in the corn business than in the dairy business these days.  I think the diaries are now all in Western Iowa; Eastern Iowa has richer soils. Check out why all politicians love ethanol right around election time- it may correlate with the number persons accepting huge corn subsidies in the crowd.  Who says Republicans don't like subsidized green energy?

Also, look at a political map.  Rural Iowa has been hemorrhaging population for a while now.  Cities are making Iowa democratic, and as they grow, Iowa becomes more democratic.  Also, check out the rate at which people attend college in those cities.  Almost half of Iowa City has a four year degree which means educated and urban.  There is a huge rural/urban divide as well as an East/West divide.  If you were close to the Mississippi, you got a long history of agricultural industry booming: see Quaker Oats. You also have very, very, very rich soil. Western Iowa looks and acts a lot like Nebraska (rural and land locked).  Family farms are going by the wayside and being replaced by huge combines and persons wealthy enough to afford the loan to buy the acreage throughout the state and farms demand less human labor in general.  As Iowa changes from a population that is primarily an agricultural society to one which is primarily urban, you're going to see the political shift in addition to a demographic shift.