Dem Counties in heaily White areas of North central TN

[Smash255]

In the south the wae way people vote is based off skin color.  now that is probably not the real reason or even paert of the reason in most cases, but majority white areas tend to vote heavily GOP, majority black areas tend to vote heavily Democratic.  This is something that has increased over the past 15-20 years or so.  Their are some exceptions especially in very poor white areas of the upper south, but for the most par heavily white counties are staunchly GOP, heavily black counties are staunchly Democrat

Looking through some of the election maps I found a grouping of counties in North Central TN Smith, trousdale, Clay, jackson.  While all were quite a bit closer in 04 than they were in 00 (part Gore effect) these were still counties that went to Kerry in 04.  All the counties in this group were majority white (at least 85%) with  the vast majority of them in the 95-98+% range white.   Trousdale which is just shy of 87% white, and Jackson almost 99% were Ford's two best counties, both giving him victories hovering around 30%.  Not a wealthy area, as the income levels and poverty rates are lower and higher repsectivley than the state averages, but not all that far from them either.  Most other majority white counties in the region, with similar income and poverty levels are staunchly GOP.  Anyone know why this area is different? and what makes it so Democratic, when most of the other areas of the region which are similar in demographics (both racially & financially) are so republican?

[Vasall des Midas]

Not quite sure why the Upper Cumberland is sticking to its dem guns... but it's not that surprising either (similar areas in eastern Tennessee are solidly Rep, true, but they have been since the Civil War.) Remember there are no heavily black areas nearby.

No, what really amazes me is the survival of Dem strength in NE Arkansas.

[Cubby]

Al Gore is from Smith County. That explains why there was a 43 point swing to the Dems in 1992 when he was the VP candidate. Then in 2004 when he wasn't on the ticket, there was a 30 point swing to the GOP.

But these counties stayed Democrat even in 1984/1988, so there must be other factors as well.

Lewis I'm surprised by Arkansas too. They are still electing Dem. Senators and in 2004 had only a small swing to the GOP. The eastern half of the state is where most of the black population lives. The Northwest Corner is the most Republican b/c it has the lowest black population in the state.

[Vasall des Midas]

Al Gore is from Smith County. That explains why there was a 43 point swing to the Dems in 1992 when he was the VP candidate. Then in 2004 when he wasn't on the ticket, there was a 30 point swing to the GOP.

But these counties stayed Democrat even in 1984/1988, so there must be other factors as well.

Lewis I'm surprised by Arkansas too. They are still electing Dem. Senators and in 2004 had only a small swing to the GOP. The eastern half of the state is where most of the black population lives. The Northwest Corner is the most Republican b/c it has the lowest black population in the state.

Nyes. The Northwest Corner is the most Republican and it has the lowest black population, as a region, in the state, but there's no causal relationship there. That area never was that Democratic. There are quite lillywhite counties in the northeast as well.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I'm thinking northern Tennessee might be a zinc or limestone mining area. Mining areas are generally Democratic.

[Sibboleth]

There are some mining areas in Tennessee (and they do have decent Democratic votes as a rule), but they're further west or further south.

Most of this area does have high rates of manufacturing employment though.

[memphis]

Strict racial voting only happens in places, like the Deep South, were there are large numbers of blacks. Even in east TN, a Republican stronghold for sure, Dems get about a third of the white vote, which is the only vote to get. This cluster of counties and the one along the TN river (Benton, Houston, Humphreys) is strange. Rurals are hard to figure out.