Nevada vs. Utah

[FerrisBueller86]

I find it funny that states with so many opposing characteristics lie next to each other.  Nevada is the most sinful state - rampant gambling (and I mean back before the mainstreaming of casinos in the rest of the country), drinking, smoking, and legal prostitution.  Utah is the most moralistic state, as it is the US capital for the Mormon religion.  Even though smoking and drinking are popular in many places outside Nevada, both of these sins are against the Mormon religion.

So why don't Nevada and Utah vote in opposite ways most of the time?  While Utah is the most heavily Republican state, Nevada is a swing state rather than a Democratic state.  Since LBJ won Nevada in 1964, the state has only voted Democratic twice (Clinton in 1992 and 1996) and only by rather narrow margins.

[A18]

None of those are federal issues.

[nclib]

Nevada is a swing state because of two counteracting forces:

- Clark County (where most of the population lives) is lean Democrat
- the rest of Nevada is very rural and (like most rural areas) very Republican

[WI_Dem]

Nevada is a swing state because of two counteracting forces:

- Clark County (where most of the population lives) is lean Democrat
- the rest of Nevada is very rural and (like most rural areas) very Republican

I'm glad you said Clark County is lean Democrat because some people get the weird idea that it is a solid Dem county when in fact it is almost a swing county. There are a lot of libertarian leaning Republicans who simply want their tax cuts and to be left alone.

[Alcon]

People have a misconception that Las Vegass is very Democratic.  It isn't, actually.  North Las Vegas is the only heavily Democratic city in the state.  It's Las Vegas plus North Las Vegas plus unincorporated Clark County (really just working class Las Vegas exurbs) that make it Democratic.

In fact, for a major city, Las Vegas is among the least Democratic.

Utah is Republican because there are lots of Mormons.  Nevada is in the top three least religious states in the United States along with Oregon and Washington.

[minionofmidas]

...but actually has quite a fair few Mormons too IIRC.

[Alcon]

...but actually has quite a fair few Mormons too IIRC.

Yes, but they live in areas that are already so heavily Republican, it doesn't much matter.

[jimrtex]

Yes, but they live in areas that are already so heavily Republican, it doesn't much matter.

Las Vegas was founded by Mormons,

[Alcon]

Yes, but they live in areas that are already so heavily Republican, it doesn't much matter.

Las Vegas was founded by Mormons,

Well...yes...but they don't much live there anymore...

[jimrtex]

Yes, but they live in areas that are already so heavily Republican, it doesn't much matter.

Las Vegas was founded by Mormons,

Well...yes...but they don't much live there anymore...

There are around 200 wards in the LV area, so maybe 100,000 members.