Tennessee

[Kghadial]

Its the river that makes Arkansas a little less conservative. If you look Gore dominated counties and C. Districts next to the Mississippi.  That's why Missouri and Lousiana are also a little less conservative. Don't ask me about Mississippi though  Clinton won every single Mississippi river state both times except of course for mississippi of course. That is how the modern democratic party can win elections: a coalition of the east cost, west coast, and the river.

I guess liberals like water .... hahahaha, wait a second ... what about the Great Salt Lake

I'd say Arkansas is an easier win for Kerry than Missouri. Missouri has far more 'country' away from the river than Ark.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

It has less to do with water and more to do with race.  The areas in the delta region have much higher concentrations of African-Americans than counties further away from the delta.

Arkansas will not go for Kerry unless there is a significant lead for him nationally.

[Rococo4]

If Arkansas is a huge worry in 2004 for Bush against a liberal like Kerry, then he is not going to win.

[Kghadial]

It has less to do with water and more to do with race.  The areas in the delta region have much higher concentrations of African-Americans than counties further away from the delta.

Arkansas will not go for Kerry unless there is a significant lead for him nationally.

Well those African-Americans wouldn't have been around there if not for the river, and thus the river is the reason.  Not to mention Gore did well in river areas in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minn. Up there the african-american argument doesn't hold.

Didn't you notice that I was being sarcastic i did say "what about the Great Salt Lake" .   What is it with you Republicans and not getting sarcasm, I even put a winky smiley face.

I didn't say arkansas would go for Kerry, I just said that Arkansas will be easier to win than Missouri.

[opebo]

Arkansas is a populist state, but not a liberal state.

Actually its a state made up of very traditional conservatives in the west, black democrats in the east, and possibly the populists you mention more in the center of the state.  A fairly polarized state like most Southern states.

[ian]

ian, what makes Arkansas stand out over all the conservative states, generally, which surround it? Is it something about the state's unique history or heritage?

I'm actually unsure.  I have absolutely no clue.  I know that a lot of the old hicks out in the boondocks are under the impression that they are Democrats, even though every opinion that they have is conservative.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The GOP do not have a party machine in most of Arkansas, BTW.
They have a very good one in the Ozarks (Ouchita and Boston Mountains to be pedantic), but everywhere else is as Democrat as Southern WV.

Arkansas is a very poor state (Mississippi Valley+Ozarks), and as a result you get a hell of a lot more White populists that actually vote than in most of the rest of the South.

The East of the state does have a high Black population, but not by Southern levels.
The North (there's a small steel industry in CD-1) the Centre and the South (where Bill Clinton's from) have loads of populists etc... while the North West is strong Republican.