Polarization by states, 2004

[pbrower2a]

In 2008, Barack Obama won 365 electoral votes with 52.87% of the popular vote, and John McCain won 193 electoral votes with 45.63% of the popular vote.  But only 145 electoral votes for either came from states decided by a margin less than 10%.

Does this suggest huge cultural differences between some groups of states? That neither Obama nor McCain ran a genuinely national campaign but instead targeted a few states thought potentially movable? That some states are wildly unreceptive to one or the other?

What does such a polarization say of the potential for political compromises and co-operation?

Will this polarization lessen, intensify, or remain much the same in 2012? What consequences can arise from a failure of America to congeal around the President, whether Republican or Democratic in later years?   

[Antonio the Sixth]

Polarization caracterises especially republican vote, that is very strong in South an West, and relatively weak elsewhere. However, I think this polarisation will lessen in the next elections : we saw that the higher 2008 trends were in traditional republican strongholds like Utah or Indiana. If this movement continues, democrats will do better in republican strongholds, and republicans wil do ( a bit ) better in traditional democrat-leaning regions.