day 4: arkansas

[minionofmidas]

discuss arkansas.

Why is the democratic party holding up much better here than elsewhere in the south? just the clinton legacy?
democrats got 30% of the white evangelical vote in arkansas, twice as much as just about anywhere else.

[Ben Meyers]

Arkansas is a very interesting state.  I think it's also a very liberal state at heart.  It elected two Democratic Senators and all of its Congressman are Democratic.  It remains a swing state in presidential elections.  I think that it depends more on the candidates than the parties in presidential elections.  A Southern, moderate, charismatic Democrat could sweep this state.  However, both Gore and Kerry sorta let this one go, and they lost.  I think it was about 54-45 for Bush this past year, and that's still pretty close.  Also, it's looking like Beebe will be elected Governor.  This is still a very Democratic state.

[minionofmidas]

Arkansas is a very interesting state.  I think it's also a very liberal state at heart.  It elected two Democratic Senators and all of its Congressman are Democratic. 

Not quite, three out of four are.

[WalterMitty]

ive always thought of arkansas as the west va of the south, without (real) mountains and with a lot more black people.

good job of pinch hitting for me lewis.

ill need you to start the threads tomorrow and monday, as i will be on the road heading to massachusetts.

[minionofmidas]

pinch hitting

Sorry. I'm not familair with this expression. And I can't promise to be around to open the threads, I guess just somebodywill have to do it, as long as they're sticking to the alphabet.

[WalterMitty]

pinch hitting

Sorry. I'm not familair with this expression. And I can't promise to be around to open the threads, I guess just somebodywill have to do it, as long as they're sticking to the alphabet.

a pinch hitter is a substitute in the batting order in the game of baseball.

yes, whoever does it, please, please stick to the alphabet.

[minionofmidas]

pinch hitting

Sorry. I'm not familair with this expression. And I can't promise to be around to open the threads, I guess just somebodywill have to do it, as long as they're sticking to the alphabet.

a pinch hitter is a substitute in the batting order in the game of baseball.

Ah, alright.

[© tweed]

Arkansas has two very good senators in Mark Pryor and Blance Lincoln.  That's what I know about Arkansas.

[jokerman]

Arkansas votes Democratic when a populist is on the ticket.  That's all you need to know.  The state democratic party is very strong, indeed.

[WalterMitty]

Arkansas votes Democratic when a populist is on the ticket.  That's all you need to know.  The state democratic party is very strong, indeed.

bill clinton was a populist?

[© tweed]

Arkansas votes Democratic when a populist is on the ticket.  That's all you need to know.  The state democratic party is very strong, indeed.

bill clinton was a populist?

I don't think so.  Clinton was a libertarian in my book.

[Alcon]

Arkansas will, like most populist-leaning states, vote for a person who walks and talks like a populist, which Bill Clinton was absolutely brilliant at.

[jimrtex]

I wonder if there is some sort of intrastate regional effect. 

Because there is a traditional Republican area in the Ozarks, people in the south and east might be less inclined to switch to what they might perceive as the party of the NW.  There might be the same sort of effect in Tennessee, but with a more substantial Republican area, resulting in Republican dominance.

For example, see the 1968 county results.  The Wallace areas in othe states have swung Republican.  But they have held up as more Democratic in Arkansas.

[minionofmidas]

I wonder if there is some sort of intrastate regional effect. 

Because there is a traditional Republican area in the Ozarks, people in the south and east might be less inclined to switch to what they might perceive as the party of the NW.  There might be the same sort of effect in Tennessee, but with a more substantial Republican area, resulting in Republican dominance.

For example, see the 1968 county results.  The Wallace areas in othe states have swung Republican.  But they have held up as more Democratic in Arkansas.

There is such an effect ... but I don't think that's sufficient explanation, since the question would then be, why is there no such effect elsewhere? Most Southern states have their ancient Republican stronghold areas, after all.
To add to the weirdness, there are counties in NE Arkansas that are 80+ or even 90+ White and are just a couple of counties off of Black-majority places. Elsewhere in the South, places like that vote 70+ Republican. Counties I'm thinking of (I'd have to research for names...) voted for Gore and Kerry.

[opebo]

There is less of a pronounced racist white backlash against the Democrats in Arkansas because there are fewer blacks - only about 15%.

[jimrtex]

There is such an effect ... but I don't think that's sufficient explanation, since the question would then be, why is there no such effect elsewhere? Most Southern states have their ancient Republican stronghold areas, after all.

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In the Deep South they are usually very small.  Alabama has Winston County.  North Georgia has a couple of counties.

In Tennessee, the mountain area is more significant.

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(Clay and Randolph for example)  These counties were not part of the traditional Republican stronghold.  To switch to the Republican party would be joining the Ozark hillbillies.

[minionofmidas]

There is such an effect ... but I don't think that's sufficient explanation, since the question would then be, why is there no such effect elsewhere? Most Southern states have their ancient Republican stronghold areas, after all.

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In the Deep South they are usually very small.  Alabama has Winston County.  North Georgia has a couple of counties.

In Tennessee, the mountain area is more significant.

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(Clay and Randolph for example)  These counties were not part of the traditional Republican stronghold.  To switch to the Republican party would be joining the Ozark hillbillies.

Similar counties in Georgia and Virginia seem to have had no such qualms. (Although some areas in NC do...)

[© tweed]

when will we continue to day 5 of the 'road trip'??

[minionofmidas]

when will we continue to day 5 of the 'road trip'??

Soon as anyone starts a thread titled "day 5: california".

[© tweed]

when will we continue to day 5 of the 'road trip'??

Soon as anyone starts a thread titled "day 5: california".

Should I take initiative?  I'm scared....maybe you should do it 

Plus I can't write those brilliant openings like you and mitty have.

[RBH]

Arkansas was probably the most successful southern state for the Moderate Republicans. Winthrop Rockefeller beat a segregationist (Justice Jim) and a Faubus buddy, and then he lost by 30 points to Bumpers.

Some of the other Southern states had hints of a liberal Republican movement. But that died off pretty quickly as Conservative Democrats started to switch sides.

[jimrtex]

Similar counties in Georgia and Virginia seem to have had no such qualms. (Although some areas in NC do...)

There are not similar counties in Georgia.

The Ozarks cover about 1/4 of Arkansas.  The tradition Appalachian Republican area of Georgia is a county or two in the extreme north.

[jacob_101]

This is another state where the exit polls were junk.  According to CNN exit polls Bush won the black vote in the teens in 2000 and then only won 6% in 2004 but yet gained nationally among blacks?

And gained 56 to 63% of the white vote....come on!  I think CNN's adjustments are a bit biased.

This state is so democratic for a southern state, I am not sure why, so will say  that it will remain a swing state.

[memphis]

An important fact about politics in Arkansas is that the population is growing quite rapidly in the Republican Ozarks of the Northwest. Wal-Mart is based up there in Bentonville, bringing lots of business types to the Republican voting totals. Like all of the South, except Florida (which is more independant) Arkansas is trending religious right fast.

[jokerman]

An important fact about politics in Arkansas is that the population is growing quite rapidly in the Republican Ozarks of the Northwest. Wal-Mart is based up there in Bentonville, bringing lots of business types to the Republican voting totals. Like all of the South, except Florida (which is more independant) Arkansas is trending religious right fast.

Yes, but the religious right is something that we Southern Democrats can deal with.  It's populist in nature, and we can get enough of it to still win elections; quite handily, in fact.

Now I would agree that the area growing around Bentonville consists largely of capitalist or liberatarian Republicans, who are not populist in nature.