Fun with Racial Voting (Utah Edition)

[Rob]

You can be forgiven for thinking there's no serious ethnocultural divide in an overwhelmingly white state like Utah, but you'd be wrong. Case in point: San Juan County, in the southeast corner of the state. San Juan is 56 percent Navajo, but you'd never guess it by looking at the election results- the only Democrats ever to carry it were Bryan in 1896, Wilson in 1916, and Roosevelt in 1936.

Still, the local Navajo showed the same pro-Obama trend last year as virtually all Native Americans did, producing one of the bigger swings in the state. Recent election returns:

1992: Bush 46%, Clinton 38%, Perot 13%, Gritz 3%
1996: Dole 51%, Clinton 40%, Perot 7%
2000: Bush 57%, Gore 39%, Nader 2%
2004: Bush 60%, Kerry 39%
2008: McCain 51%, Obama 47%

... which means that Obama did better than any Democrat since FDR in 1936.

But here's the point of the thread: the hilariously polarized precinct results from 2008.

Bluff: Obama 83%
Montezuma Creek: Obama 86%
Aneth: Obama 79%
"C Point": McCain 68%
Ucolo: McCain 79%
La Sal: McCain 65%
Spanish Valley: McCain 57%
Monticello (county seat): McCain 81%
Blanding (biggest town, and home of the only active uranium plant in America): McCain 81%
Mexican Hat: Obama 83%
Oljato: Obama 84%
Navajo Mountain: Obama 73%
Halls Crossing: McCain 64%
Red Mesa: Obama 80%
White Mesa: Obama 97%

If you can pick out the majority-white areas from the heavily Navajo territory, give yourself a cookie.

[mileslunn]

You can be forgiven for thinking there's no serious ethnocultural divide in an overwhelmingly white state like Utah, but you'd be wrong. Case in point: San Juan County, in the southeast corner of the state. San Juan is 56 percent Navajo, but you'd never guess it by looking at the election results- the only Democrats ever to carry it were Bryan in 1896, Wilson in 1916, and Roosevelt in 1936.

Still, the local Navajo showed the same pro-Obama trend last year as virtually all Native Americans did, producing one of the bigger swings in the state. Recent election returns:

1992: Bush 46%, Clinton 38%, Perot 13%, Gritz 3%
1996: Dole 51%, Clinton 40%, Perot 7%
2000: Bush 57%, Gore 39%, Nader 2%
2004: Bush 60%, Kerry 39%
2008: McCain 51%, Obama 47%

... which means that Obama did better than any Democrat since FDR in 1936.

But here's the point of the thread: the hilariously polarized precinct results from 2008.

Bluff: Obama 83%
Montezuma Creek: Obama 86%
Aneth: Obama 79%
"C Point": McCain 68%
Ucolo: McCain 79%
La Sal: McCain 65%
Spanish Valley: McCain 57%
Monticello (county seat): McCain 81%
Blanding (biggest town, and home of the only active uranium plant in America): McCain 81%
Mexican Hat: Obama 83%
Oljato: Obama 84%
Navajo Mountain: Obama 73%
Halls Crossing: McCain 64%
Red Mesa: Obama 80%
White Mesa: Obama 97%

If you can pick out the majority-white areas from the heavily Navajo territory, give yourself a cookie.

Native Americans probably voted for Obama almost as heavily as African-Americans did.  The only problem is their overall numbers aren't that large in most states thus few exit polls.  Nonetheless in the Dakotas and Eastern Montana as well as even Alaska you can see this divide as well.  That being said, Utah may be one of the reddest states, but amongst Whites only, I suspect the Republicans did better in most Southern states percentage wise than Utah, however those states are not nearly as white as Utah.  I think Mississippi is the reddest state if you take the white vote only while Vermont (excluding DC) would be the bluest.

[minionofmidas]

*grabs cookie*

See also its namesake in New Mexico.

[homelycooking]

So then what's up with Grand County, UT? It's just to the north of San Juan, and voted 51% for Obama (one of the most Democratic counties in diehard Republican Utah), but is 6% Latino, 4% Native and 93% white.

[platypeanArchcow]

So then what's up with Grand County, UT? It's just to the north of San Juan, and voted 51% for Obama (one of the most Democratic counties in diehard Republican Utah), but is 6% Latino, 4% Native and 93% white.

Local economy is almost entirely tourism.  'Nuff said.

[minionofmidas]

Grand County is basically Moab. (56% of county population within the city limits as of 2000.)

"Moab's economy was originally based on agriculture, but gradually shifted to mining. Uranium and vanadium were discovered in the area in the 1910s and 1920s. Potash and manganese came next and then oil and gas were discovered. In the 1950s Moab became the uranium Capital of the world after geologist Charles Steen found a rich deposit of uranium ore south of the city.

The city population grew nearly 500% over the next few years bringing the population to near 6,000 people. The explosion in population lead to a great deal of construction of both homes and schools. Charles Steen donated a great deal of money and land to create new houses and churches for the people of Moab.

With the winding down of the Cold War Moab's uranium boom was over. Many people left the city in high numbers by the early 1980s many homes stood empty and nearly all of the uranium mines had closed.

(...)

There have been numerous movies filmed in the area ever since [John Ford filmed Wagon Master here], using the beauty of Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park as backdrops. Since the 1970s tourism has played an increasing role in the local economy. Partly due to the John Ford movies, the area has become a favorite for photographers, rafters, hikers, and most recently mountain bikers. Moab is also an increasingly popular destination for four-wheelers as well as for BASE jumpers, who are allowed to practice their sport.

In recent years Moab has seen a surge of second-home owners. The mild winters and enjoyable summers have attracted many to build throughout the area. Controversy has arisen over these new temporary citizens and their homes which remain unoccupied through most of the year. Many citizens in Moab are concerned that Moab may soon become like Vail or Aspen in Colorado.

Sunset Magazine's March 2009 issue listed Moab as one of the 20 best small towns in the west."

And just maybe this has something to do with it as well...

"Maob Tailings is a uranium mill waste pond situated alongside the Colorado River, currently under the control of the U.S. Department of Energy. Locals refer to it as the Moab Tailings Pile. In 1952 Charlie Steen found the largest uranium deposit in the United States near Moab, Utah. The uranium was processed by the Uranium Reduction Company and the waste slurry was stored in an unlined pond adjacent to the river. The Uranium Reduction Company was sold in 1962 and renamed the Atlas Uranium Mill.

After the mill was closed in 1984 the pond was capped. It is believed that the waste is leaching into the river, inferred from the lethal effect on fish, primarily from high concentrations of ammonia. In August 2005 the Department of Energy announced that 11.9 million short tons (10.8 million tonnes) of radioactive tailings would be moved, mostly by rail, and buried in a lined hole. The proposed holding site is public land at Crescent Junction, Utah, about 30 miles from the Colorado River."

[JoeBrayson]

Very interesting, I presume that the bulk of these precincts are in UT-02?

[homelycooking]

That's right. Grand and San Juan Counties are both in Utah's second district, represented by Democrat Jim Matheson.