Partisanship was record high in 2004, with 2000 2nd highest

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Here's the 2 analyitical partisan indexes I made up

Partisan index 1

Dem % of D voters + GOP % of R voters

1972. 157
1976. 167
1980. 153
1984. 166
1988. 173
1992. 150
1996. 164
2000. 177
2004. 182

Partisan index 2

Dem % of people voting D in congress + GOP % of people voting R in congress

1976. 162
1980. 152
1984. 169
1988. 154
1992. 146
1996. 160
2000. 171
2004. 179


Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20041107_px_ELECTORATE.xls

[Silent Hunter]

Interesting.

[TomC]

I think the 2000 election explains part of why 2004 election is so bitterly partisan. I know I considered myself a Dem leaning independent until the 2000 election, now I'm a rabid Democrat. That doesn't explain the 2000 election being second though.

[Joe Republic]

In other news, water is wet and the Pope is Catholic.

Not that I really showed much interest in politics before 2000, but it seems to me like then and the last one were probably the most bitter and polarized America has seen for a long while.

[Gustaf]

A great part of it is actually that Dixiecrats have joined the GOP. Keep in mind that a great majority of registered voters used to be Democrats and a lot of them voted Republican. I think 60% or something of Oklahoma voters are Democrats but they voted for Bush by something like a 30 point margin and elected Tom Coburn who seems lunatically conservative to me.