Most Democrat Possible District by State

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

60-37 Obama

Rest of the state goes 65-31 McCain

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Colorado



79-20 Obama

Rest of the state becomes nailbitingly close at 49.7-48.6 Obama.

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75-23 Obama

Rest of the state flips 51-48 McCain

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81-18 Obama

Rest of the state goes 67-32 McCain.  Very likely Romney would have hit >70% with these lines, even though the state as a whole swung toward Obama in 2012.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

Here's a Georgia map that doesn't cut into Atlanta:



70-29 Obama

Rest of the state: 54-45 McCain

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Ohio:


83-16 Obama

Rest of the state: 49.4-49 Obama

I'd try to get a bigger margin, but I'm no expert on the racial demographics of the city.  Also, it slowed my computer down a lot.

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76-23 Obama

Rest of the state: 59-40 McCain

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Arkansas - No county splitting



54-44 Obama

Rest of the state: 64-33 McCain

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Kansas

60-38 Obama

Rest of the state: 62-36 McCain

Nebraska

57-42 Obama

Rest of the state: 64-35 McCain

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Maine:



63-36 Obama

Rest of the state: 52-45

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Indiana:



72-27 Obama

Rest of the state: 52-47 McCain

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New Jersey:



84-16 Obama

Rest of the state: 55-45 Obama

There's probably a way to get to >90% Obama in this area, but I don't know how the black vote is patterned here.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

For some reason I never thought of checking the 'Population' box instead of the 'Election' box.  Here's another shot at New Jersey, this time with the majority-black areas connected.



88-12 Obama

Rest of the state: 55-45 Obama

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This thread (and the Republican version) really says a lot about the two parties, and their strengths and weaknesses. As I understand it, it isn’t that difficult to create districts in California, New York and Illinois that are 95 % Obama (or maybe more). You usually don’t get close to those numbers for Romney or McCain, even in places like Alabama, Texas and Georgia. The almost monolithically Democratic cities are able to completely drown out Republican strengths in rural and exurban areas. That is of course an advantage for the Democrats.

The downside is of course that the Democratic core voters are locked into a few Congressional districts. That means that it isn’t that difficult to draw Republican districts in the suburbs and the countryside. In that respect, the current Republican coalition is better suited to control the House. Presidential Elections are of course a different story.

I would agree with the observation and add that this represents the fundamental shift from 40 years ago. At that time the GOP was better suited to win the White House while the Dems had a lock on the US House. Back then the cities were not as monolithic but there were significant rural areas that still voted for conservative New Deal Dems, especially in the South. The Dems now principally represent the basket of issues that are important to people who live in relatively dense diverse environments (ie cities), as opposed to the New Deal coalition which was primarily focused on issues affecting the working class and poor regardless of region.

I'll admit I have seen a pro-urban/anti-rural sentiment among some progressives, but that aside, why do you suggest that Democrats don't focus on issues affecting the middle-class and poor regardless of region?

And no, don't say "social issues."  Hardly anyone votes on those alone.