state capitals

[cannonia]

I think the strong Democrat tilt of state capitals has more to do with how far the Republicans have gone to the right.

No, there are a few reasons for this.  Public-sector workers are the most likely to be unionized, and the fact their paycheck comes from the government gives the bigger-government party a natural advantage in the capital.  Also, Democrat identity politics keep delivering blocs of votes.  Another element is self-selection; people who move to the city or the suburbs may well harbor different value systems.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Athens and Piraeus proper are conservative strongholds.
It's the suburbs where left-wing parties score their best results. Especially Piraeus' suburbs where communists dominate while consrvatives are extremely weak, they almost come third.

[minionofmidas]

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The Finnish right is a urban-based thing, especially when compared to the rural agrarian Centre, which predictably polls sh**t in Helsinki. And the major centre-left party here is not the SDP, but the Greenies who quasi-consistently break 20%.

Similarly, in Norway the Conservatives are only the second largest right wing party (behind the more populist Progress Party), but the Oslo suburbs and posh parts of Oslo are their strongest areas. Oslo was the only province where the Conservatives came second (still behind Labour) as Progress does badly there. And the Center Party is Agrarian in Norway too, but smaller than in Finland. And currently allied to the Left.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

With London it depends how you define it. If London = the GLA (once the GLC - the area is exactly the same but for a few acres with no people living in them lost to Hertfordshire) then it is very much a swing city, if London = a reasonable definition of the wider metropolitan area, then it actually leans Tory, and if London = the old LCC area, then it's strongly Labour (despite the West End). The GLC was in fact created back in the '60's to give the Tories a chance of running London as the LCC had been Labour-dominated since the '30's (irony = the Tories would have won a majority on the LCC in 1967 anyway. Though never again, admittedly). The difference between London and certain other European capitals (Paris say) is that the old docks (and thus industry) went right up into the middle of the city. That, and a total lack of urban planning until the horse had bolted.

But if we're talking provincial capitals, then Edinburgh was a Tory city until the '80's and Cardiff has always leaned to the right of the rest of South Wales (not hard, admittedly). Back when such things mattered, Belfast was far to the left of the rest of Ulster (because of its industries more than the fact it was the capital, mind). And of the few county towns to take on the attitude and appearance (in certain respects) of provincial capitals, Durham City is a little bourgeois island in a vast proletarian sea and York is reasonably leftish by tradition (mainly because it used to be home to stable, unionised industries like chocolate manufacturing and the railways).

[Hash]

That may be true in terms of the Fascist tend to beat the OVP, although the combined right vote is usually a full 10% below the national average and in the last election almost 60% voted for parties on the left.

Remains important to point that out, still.

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Like the Cities of London and Westminster, or whatever that tiny parcel of land right in the core is called.

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Well, yeah, Geneva is Geneva. Zurich, Geneva, Bern all voted PS, albeit at varying levels. And the Greenies are very strong.

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Rural-urban divides aren't important in every European country like they are in Europe. The French PS historical strongholds are rural, the PCF still has a rural rump vote, the Italian left is strong even in select rural areas, the PCI polled well in rural areas, the PvdA polls well in rural areas near the German border, the SPD in Germany polls well in certain rural areas, quite often the Scandinavian rural areas are more left-wing than cities and suburbs. Social issues are much less important in Europe, so there isn't a universal strict rural-urban divide as there is in the US, where there are only few exceptions to the rule.

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That's cause they're very socially liberal. Those types wouldn't vote for the right in most European countries.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Remains important to point that out, still.

I did a map of the Vienna results after the elections last year. The funny part was the way the Social Democrats and Freedom Party had exactly the same pattern of support.

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The tiny parcel of land (pretty much entirely big buildings, actually) is the City of London - that is, the boundaries mediaeval city (slightly tweaked about a decade ago so that the boundary no long runs through the middle of some buildings). It's Tory, of course, though voted for Livingstone in 2004 (and probably 2000) and for the Labour candidate in 1997. Plenty of of other posh areas in the West End though - Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham (though this used to be a working class area), parts of Hammersmith (see Fulham, but even more so). And on the other side of the river, Putney, Battersea (see Hammersmith but even more so), etc.

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Ah, but there are different types of rich areas in Manhattan. It's hard to imagine a transported Upper East Side not voting strongly for the Right in most (all?) European countries. Other parts of the borough, hmm, maybe not.

[mileslunn]

I think the strong Democrat tilt of state capitals has more to do with how far the Republicans have gone to the right.

No, there are a few reasons for this.  Public-sector workers are the most likely to be unionized, and the fact their paycheck comes from the government gives the bigger-government party a natural advantage in the capital.  Also, Democrat identity politics keep delivering blocs of votes.  Another element is self-selection; people who move to the city or the suburbs may well harbor different value systems.

Partially true, although depending on its size, not all workers are civil servants.  Also some state capitals that went Democratic are still more Republican than the state as a whole.  In Salem, Carson City, and Springfield, McCain did better than his statewide average even though he lost both of those.  Others such as Austin or Madison seem to just be plain out liberal more due to cultural factors and less due to being state capitals.  In many ways they are liberal much like cities such as Eugene, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado which are not either state capitals, but liberal enclaves within their own states.

[minionofmidas]

That is true in France, although I think in Germany a lot go right out to the countryside such as Berlin.

Berlin is very much the exception rather than the rule. And has a lot to do with the fact that the metro area's population was (marginally) declining throughout most of the second half of the 20th century. And with a certain wall. that kept Berlin's western and northwestern hinterland from fulfilling its suburban destiny (suburban development in the area had already begun in 1945.  Since 1990, these areas have been growing like no tomorrow.)
And with the fact that East Berlin's big 70s and 80s mushrooming suburbs were built on heathland unexplically included in the city boundary back when all of Berlin's then many suburbs were consolidated into the city back in 1920.

There are vast commuterland belts around Frankfurt and Munich and Stuttgart. It's sort of hard to tell where they end because zoning laws - and rich soils, actually. And some other factors as well - have ensured the survival of quite extensive swathes of farmland well inside them (there's farmland between Offenbach and Sachsenhausen!). And Frankfurt's and to a lesser extent Stuttgart's have gobbled up several older smaller central cities.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

So what was the most Republican and most Democratic capital city in the 08 election?

For Republicans, probably either Jefferson City or Cheyenne.  For Democrats that is a bit more difficult, although I believe Obama got over 80% in Santa Fe, Montpeilier, Providence, Hartford, Albany, Trenton, and Harrisburg.  If you include Washington DC, I am pretty sure Obama did better there than any of the state capitals.

Obama also got 79% in the City of Richmond.

[Badger]

I think the strong Democrat tilt of state capitals has more to do with how far the Republicans have gone to the right.

No, there are a few reasons for this.  Public-sector workers are the most likely to be unionized, and the fact their paycheck comes from the government gives the bigger-government party a natural advantage in the capital.  Also, Democrat identity politics keep delivering blocs of votes.  Another element is self-selection; people who move to the city or the suburbs may well harbor different value systems.

Lemme make sure I have this right:

Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians voting overwhelmingly Democratic="Democrat identity politics".

Southern whites voting overwhelmingly GOP="anti-socialist FF"?

Just checking.

[nclib]

Also some state capitals that went Democratic are still more Republican than the state as a whole.  In Salem, Carson City, and Springfield, McCain did better than his statewide average even though he lost both of those.

True, though the Democratic strength (and general population) is concentrated around Portland, Las Vegas, and Chicago, and Salem, Carson City, and Springfield are more Democratic than the rest of those states.

[cannonia]

I think the strong Democrat tilt of state capitals has more to do with how far the Republicans have gone to the right.

No, there are a few reasons for this.  Public-sector workers are the most likely to be unionized, and the fact their paycheck comes from the government gives the bigger-government party a natural advantage in the capital.  Also, Democrat identity politics keep delivering blocs of votes.  Another element is self-selection; people who move to the city or the suburbs may well harbor different value systems.

Lemme make sure I have this right:

Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians voting overwhelmingly Democratic="Democrat identity politics".

Southern whites voting overwhelmingly GOP="anti-socialist FF"?

Just checking.

Never said either one.  Reading comprehension FTW.

[Badger]

I think the strong Democrat tilt of state capitals has more to do with how far the Republicans have gone to the right.

No, there are a few reasons for this.  Public-sector workers are the most likely to be unionized, and the fact their paycheck comes from the government gives the bigger-government party a natural advantage in the capital.  Also, Democrat identity politics keep delivering blocs of votes.  Another element is self-selection; people who move to the city or the suburbs may well harbor different value systems.

Lemme make sure I have this right:

Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians voting overwhelmingly Democratic="Democrat identity politics".

Southern whites voting overwhelmingly GOP="anti-socialist FF"?

Just checking.

Never said either one.  Reading comprehension FTW.

Then what, praytell, did you mean by "Democrat identity politics delivering blocs of votes"?

[Lephead]

So what was the most Republican and most Democratic capital city in the 08 election?

If you exclude Washington DC, it was Hartford then Trenton (91.7 and 91  DC was 92.5)
Pierre was 60.7% for McCain and Bismarck was 59.4%  Jefferson City 56.5%  Cheyenne 54.9%  Oklahoma City overall seems to be 57.4%

[Verily]

So what was the most Republican and most Democratic capital city in the 08 election?

If you exclude Washington DC, it was Hartford then Trenton (91.7 and 91  DC was 92.5)
Pierre was 60.7% for McCain and Bismarck was 59.4%  Jefferson City 56.5%  Cheyenne 54.9%  Oklahoma City overall seems to be 57.4%

That can't be right for OKC. Oklahoma County was only 58.1%.

[Lephead]

So what was the most Republican and most Democratic capital city in the 08 election?
[/quote]

If you exclude Washington DC, it was Hartford then Trenton (91.7 and 91  DC was 92.5)
Pierre was 60.7% for McCain and Bismarck was 59.4%  Jefferson City 56.5%  Cheyenne 54.9%  Oklahoma City overall seems to be 57.4%
[/quote]

That can't be right for OKC. Oklahoma County was only 58.1%.
[/quote]

Hi Verily :  I am including estimates for Canadian and Cleveland counties parts.  As you say, just Oklahoma county part is 53.2%

[Lephead]

Little Rock :  I found a user friendly chart of Pulaski county election returns and the happiest part is that the city of Little Rock had an election in November which makes it real easy to determine precincts.  Fortunately only 6 precincts are majorly split, although I don't know why they can't give Cammack village its very own precinct.

Obama 53722  McCain 29633  Others 1010

[Lephead]

Columbia :  I went ahead and used a list from Richland County identifying precincts in Columbia or not, I think its pretty realistic.

Obama : 56888  McCain 27562  Others 759

I've heard there are some precincts in Lexington County ?

I only have Dover left then I'll post a chart in scribd.