The next phase of an ever realigning map

[Indy Texas]

That being said, Republicans do well in Walmart-type places (where everything is cheap) or where even making even a modest living means you are "successful". So yeah, places where people don't want to live (Wyoming) or places that know that and make it cheap so everyone can't wait to move there (Texas).

It makes sense. If you can afford a 4 bedroom detached house, a bunch of kids, and one parent staying home on $45 000/year, you're far more likely to buy into the GOP's anti welfare state rhetoric than the couple struggling to raise one kid on $70 000 a year in some overpriced townhouse in Connecticut.

This basically sums up Texas. The house below is in Houston, has 5 bedrooms, is 4,400 square feet and is listed for a whopping $265,000. When a middle class family lives in a house like that, it's difficult for the Democratic Party message to reach them. Someone posts a picture of the Romneys' house in La Jolla and complains about how out of touch they are. A middle class family in NJ sees that house as in a whole different world they'll never attain. The middle class family in Texas who lives here says, "Well, Mitt's house isn't much bigger than mine. I worked hard for my house. Why do the Democrats want to criticize people for having big houses like mine?"

[Person Man]

That being said, Republicans do well in Walmart-type places (where everything is cheap) or where even making even a modest living means you are "successful". So yeah, places where people don't want to live (Wyoming) or places that know that and make it cheap so everyone can't wait to move there (Texas).

It makes sense. If you can afford a 4 bedroom detached house, a bunch of kids, and one parent staying home on $45 000/year, you're far more likely to buy into the GOP's anti welfare state rhetoric than the couple struggling to raise one kid on $70 000 a year in some overpriced townhouse in Connecticut.

This basically sums up Texas. The house below is in Houston, has 5 bedrooms, is 4,400 square feet and is listed for a whopping $265,000. When a middle class family lives in a house like that, it's difficult for the Democratic Party message to reach them. Someone posts a picture of the Romneys' house in La Jolla and complains about how out of touch they are. A middle class family in NJ sees that house as in a whole different world they'll never attain. The middle class family in Texas who lives here says, "Well, Mitt's house isn't much bigger than mine. I worked hard for my house. Why do the Democrats want to criticize people for having big houses like mine?"

Wow. So, basically 30 year-old couple, a teacher and an accountant, could afford a house like that. In New York, or any other "blue" place, they would make maybe another $20,000 a year, but would probably be able to only afford a studio.

[Indy Texas]

Wow. So, basically 30 year-old couple, a teacher and an accountant, could afford a house like that. In New York, or any other "blue" place, they would make maybe another $20,000 a year, but would probably be able to only afford a studio.

Well the caveat is that that house is in Greenwood Forest, which is an outer-ring suburb neighborhood. The schools it's zoned to are rather mediocre and that neighborhood has become increasingly non-white in recent years. But if you go further out into the exurbs (which are very white, and have schools that are somewhat better) you'll see comparably sized houses at similar prices.

Now obviously if you want to live inside Beltway 8 (and certainly if you want to live inside the 610 Loop), you're going to be paying a lot more for your house. I did a search on HAR for houses in the River Oaks area, which is considered the most expensive and elite part of Houston (George Bush Sr. lives there, as do a lot of the "old money" Houstonians). The most expensive house listed was for just under $17 million. But that house is also over 16,000 square feet and sits on 3.7 acres of urban parkland. On a price-per-square-foot basis, it's still much cheaper than what you'd find on Long Island or in the lakefront neighborhoods of Chicago.

This one is in Lakewood Forest, which is more exurban and is a very 'Murica part of Harris County (lots of megachurches; conservative white people in big pickup trucks with "NOBAMA" stickers on the back). About 3,900 square feet, 4 bedrooms, for $270K. So again, this is the residence of a reasonably decent oilfield equipment salesman with "some college" and a wife who sells Mary Kay on the weekends. You're also in a significantly better school district than the one in the first house I posted.

[Person Man]

Wow. So, basically 30 year-old couple, a teacher and an accountant, could afford a house like that. In New York, or any other "blue" place, they would make maybe another $20,000 a year, but would probably be able to only afford a studio.

Well the caveat is that that house is in Greenwood Forest, which is an outer-ring suburb neighborhood. The schools it's zoned to are rather mediocre and that neighborhood has become increasingly non-white in recent years. But if you go further out into the exurbs (which are very white, and have schools that are somewhat better) you'll see comparably sized houses at similar prices.

Now obviously if you want to live inside Beltway 8 (and certainly if you want to live inside the 610 Loop), you're going to be paying a lot more for your house. I did a search on HAR for houses in the River Oaks area, which is considered the most expensive and elite part of Houston (George Bush Sr. lives there, as do a lot of the "old money" Houstonians). The most expensive house listed was for just under $17 million. But that house is also over 16,000 square feet and sits on 3.7 acres of urban parkland. On a price-per-square-foot basis, it's still much cheaper than what you'd find on Long Island or in the lakefront neighborhoods of Chicago.

This one is in Lakewood Forest, which is more exurban and is a very 'Murica part of Harris County (lots of megachurches; conservative white people in big pickup trucks with "NOBAMA" stickers on the back). About 3,900 square feet, 4 bedrooms, for $270K. So again, this is the residence of a reasonably decent oilfield equipment salesman with "some college" and a wife who sells Mary Kay on the weekends. You're also in a significantly better school district than the one in the first house I posted.

Yeah. That sounds like your typical red-state evangelical white people.