Counties where Obama 2012 < McGovern 1972

[SingingAnalyst]

Knott County, KY voted Dem every election through 2004, then voted 55/44 McCain in 2008. In 1984 they had given Mondale 72%. I wouldn't be surprised if SD has some McGovern-Romney counties too.

[SingingAnalyst]

The fact that most large counties, in any region, had a more or less uniform swing 1972-2012 makes the existence of a few "anti-bellwether" small counties statistically feasible. Many large counties had a much larger Dem swing than average; for example, Orange Co, FL which went 80/20 for Nixon in '72 and comfortably for Obama twice. (It was also one of only two Dole-Gore counties in the country, the other being Clark, MD).

[SingingAnalyst]

Clark, MD

That county doesn't seem to exist...

I remember from a blog of Dave Leip's back in 2001 (or maybe 2002) that it was Charles County, MD.

Thank you, I stand corrected. It was Charles, MD that joined Orange, FL as the only two Dole-Gore counties in the US.