GOP has lock on South and Democrats Can't Find Key

[opebo]

Very simple- the Democrats often come across as eltists, and they accept homosexuality while at the same time screaming in horror if there is a tiny nativity scene at a court house. 

Precisely what I like about them!

[A18]

We don't need even tiny nativity scenes at court houses. Put them on private property.

[Beet]

Map where states that were within 5% of national average for either candidate are marked in grey:

Iowa was within 5% of the national average for both candidates.

[A18]

So was Virginia.

[Gustaf]

Hm, sorry, I did this a little too quickly and missed 2 states: Pennsylvania and Iowa. Here's the real map:

[Colin]

Very simple- the Democrats often come across as eltists, and they accept homosexuality while at the same time screaming in horror if there is a tiny nativity scene at a court house. 

Precisely what I like about them!

And that is precisely why they will not win the South.

[King]

Kerry did 0.38% better in NC than Gore...thats the only Southern states where Kerry > Gore.

[agcatter]

Damn, that Edwards is really a powerhouse in his home state.  What a difference he made.  Sheesh.  No wonder he didn't run for re-election to the Senate.

[A18]

Kerry did 0.38% better in NC than Gore...thats the only Southern states where Kerry > Gore.

Kerry was > than Gore in Virginia, though Bush was also > than Bush.

[phk]

well against the national average.. Kerry > Gore in VA.

[Gustaf]

Actually, there was an improvement in NC which was slightly more substantial, if you account for national averages. However, the result there was disappointing, to say the least. I did expect Edwards to do more than that, but I guess I was wrong.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Very simple- the Democrats often come across as eltists, and they accept homosexuality while at the same time screaming in horror if there is a tiny nativity scene at a court house. 

Precisely what I like about them!

And that is precisely why they will not win the South.

I agre with Opebo.  We shouldn't being intolerant of gays, and we shouldn't have nativity scenes at COURTHOUSES!

I don't want to see the Democrats run some conserative Southerner just to win.  I say keep fighting for equality and freedom and what is right.  If that means a few losses, so be it, because the real face of this administration will come out in the next 4 years, and there's gonna be more than a few pretty scared at what they see. 

[??????????]

Why don't nativity scenes belong at courthouses? Are you are religious bigot like Opebo? No wonder your party can't win any real office.

[Hitchabrut]

As you see blatently glaring in my user name, I am a Jew. I also think that displaying nativity scenes, etc., is perfectly fine. How is it hurting anyone? Does it say "believe in the Lord or die" on it? Atheist values are imposed on school children and the rest of society, at least up here in the northeast, daily, and to just show a religious symbol in a public place is not invading anyone's liberties, but it is displaying our libery of Freedom of Speech, which you liberals hold so dearly.

[J. J.]

I happen to be Christian, but I applaud the Menorahs displayed publically.  I also applaud stamps celebrating Eid, Chanukah and Christmas.

Chanukah and Eid may not be my holidays, but I celebrate them both with friends who find spiritual meaning in them; and I'm happy when these friends wish me a Merry Christmas.  I see no problem with the counrty doing the same thing.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I happen to be Christian, but I applaud the Menorahs displayed publically.  I also applaud stamps celebrating Eid, Chanukah and Christmas.

Chanukah and Eid may not be my holidays, but I celebrate them both with friends who find spiritual meaning in them; and I'm happy when these friends wish me a Merry Christmas.  I see no problem with the counrty doing the same thing.

Agreed

[dazzleman]

As you see blatently glaring in my user name, I am a Jew. I also think that displaying nativity scenes, etc., is perfectly fine. How is it hurting anyone? Does it say "believe in the Lord or die" on it? Atheist values are imposed on school children and the rest of society, at least up here in the northeast, daily, and to just show a religious symbol in a public place is not invading anyone's liberties, but it is displaying our libery of Freedom of Speech, which you liberals hold so dearly.

I agree completely.  There's something wrong with a philosophy that argues that people have the absolute, inalienable right to expose children to gratuitous sex and violence through the airwaves without any restriction and regulation, but if you display a nativity scene, it must be suppressed.

It isn't even against religion - only the Christian religion.  Those same people would move heaven and earth to protect for Muslims the rights that they seek to deny to Christians.

We live in an age characterized by a tyranny of the minority (I'm speaking of opinions, not ethnicity).  Holders of minority opinions have been quite successful, because of a twisted interpretation of the constitution, in denying the majority basic rights.

[ATFFL]

Athiests want to make their belief the state sponsored religion.

Athiesm states that there is no God  and that science, math and logic are the only forces that shape the universe.  Yet, according to a basic logical precept, you cannot prove a negative.  Thus to believe in a negative, there is no God, is to believe in something that cannot logically be proven, the exact same action that religious people take.

Therefore, athiesm is a religion and it cannot be allowed to become a state sponsored religion under the first ammendment.

[opebo]

As you see blatently glaring in my user name, I am a Jew. I also think that displaying nativity scenes, etc., is perfectly fine. How is it hurting anyone? Does it say "believe in the Lord or die" on it? Atheist values are imposed on school children and the rest of society, at least up here in the northeast, daily, and to just show a religious symbol in a public place is not invading anyone's liberties, but it is displaying our libery of Freedom of Speech, which you liberals hold so dearly.

I agree completely.  There's something wrong with a philosophy that argues that people have the absolute, inalienable right to expose children to gratuitous sex and violence through the airwaves without any restriction and regulation, but if you display a nativity scene, it must be suppressed.

It isn't even against religion - only the Christian religion.  Those same people would move heaven and earth to protect for Muslims the rights that they seek to deny to Christians.

We live in an age characterized by a tyranny of the minority (I'm speaking of opinions, not ethnicity).  Holders of minority opinions have been quite successful, because of a twisted interpretation of the constitution, in denying the majority basic rights.

You can display all the stinking nativity scenes you like - but the GOVERNMENT cannot!

[??????????]

As you see blatently glaring in my user name, I am a Jew. I also think that displaying nativity scenes, etc., is perfectly fine. How is it hurting anyone? Does it say "believe in the Lord or die" on it? Atheist values are imposed on school children and the rest of society, at least up here in the northeast, daily, and to just show a religious symbol in a public place is not invading anyone's liberties, but it is displaying our libery of Freedom of Speech, which you liberals hold so dearly.

I agree completely.  There's something wrong with a philosophy that argues that people have the absolute, inalienable right to expose children to gratuitous sex and violence through the airwaves without any restriction and regulation, but if you display a nativity scene, it must be suppressed.

It isn't even against religion - only the Christian religion.  Those same people would move heaven and earth to protect for Muslims the rights that they seek to deny to Christians.

We live in an age characterized by a tyranny of the minority (I'm speaking of opinions, not ethnicity).  Holders of minority opinions have been quite successful, because of a twisted interpretation of the constitution, in denying the majority basic rights.

You can display all the stinking nativity scenes you like - but the GOVERNMENT cannot!

Why can't the government display it?

[nclib]

Actually, there was an improvement in NC which was slightly more substantial, if you account for national averages. However, the result there was disappointing, to say the least. I did expect Edwards to do more than that, but I guess I was wrong.

If accounted for Nader (Nader wasn't on the ballot in N.C. in 2000), N.C. had the 3rd greatest pro-Kerry/Nader swing in 2004.

[dazzleman]

Athiests want to make their belief the state sponsored religion.

Athiesm states that there is no God  and that science, math and logic are the only forces that shape the universe.  Yet, according to a basic logical precept, you cannot prove a negative.  Thus to believe in a negative, there is no God, is to believe in something that cannot logically be proven, the exact same action that religious people take.

Therefore, athiesm is a religion and it cannot be allowed to become a state sponsored religion under the first ammendment.

Excellent point.  When people say they want to remove religion from public life, what they really mean is that they want to replace traditional Christian religious beliefs with their own set of beliefts, which are generally atheistic or at least secularist.

The reality is that Judeo-Christian values are the foundation of our society, and most people don't want that to change.  This push to replace these values with hostile values, done under the guise of church-state separation, is another example of a tyrannical minority looking to force its views down the throat of the majority.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

As you see blatently glaring in my user name, I am a Jew. I also think that displaying nativity scenes, etc., is perfectly fine. How is it hurting anyone? Does it say "believe in the Lord or die" on it? Atheist values are imposed on school children and the rest of society, at least up here in the northeast, daily, and to just show a religious symbol in a public place is not invading anyone's liberties, but it is displaying our libery of Freedom of Speech, which you liberals hold so dearly.

I agree completely.  There's something wrong with a philosophy that argues that people have the absolute, inalienable right to expose children to gratuitous sex and violence through the airwaves without any restriction and regulation, but if you display a nativity scene, it must be suppressed.

It isn't even against religion - only the Christian religion.  Those same people would move heaven and earth to protect for Muslims the rights that they seek to deny to Christians.

We live in an age characterized by a tyranny of the minority (I'm speaking of opinions, not ethnicity).  Holders of minority opinions have been quite successful, because of a twisted interpretation of the constitution, in denying the majority basic rights.

You can display all the stinking nativity scenes you like - but the GOVERNMENT cannot!

Why can't the government display it?

Because it implies that the US government holds a specific religion in higher regard than another, or that religious values are better than atheist or agnostic ones. 

And since when did science become an atheist value?  Teaching children FACTS is not promoting any kind of belief, it's promoting an understanding and sense of the world around them.  Having religion in schools is basically saying that it is ok for public schools to teach a groundless faith as if it were hard fact. 

[??????????]

As you see blatently glaring in my user name, I am a Jew. I also think that displaying nativity scenes, etc., is perfectly fine. How is it hurting anyone? Does it say "believe in the Lord or die" on it? Atheist values are imposed on school children and the rest of society, at least up here in the northeast, daily, and to just show a religious symbol in a public place is not invading anyone's liberties, but it is displaying our libery of Freedom of Speech, which you liberals hold so dearly.

I agree completely.  There's something wrong with a philosophy that argues that people have the absolute, inalienable right to expose children to gratuitous sex and violence through the airwaves without any restriction and regulation, but if you display a nativity scene, it must be suppressed.

It isn't even against religion - only the Christian religion.  Those same people would move heaven and earth to protect for Muslims the rights that they seek to deny to Christians.

We live in an age characterized by a tyranny of the minority (I'm speaking of opinions, not ethnicity).  Holders of minority opinions have been quite successful, because of a twisted interpretation of the constitution, in denying the majority basic rights.

You can display all the stinking nativity scenes you like - but the GOVERNMENT cannot!

Why can't the government display it?

Because it implies that the US government holds a specific religion in higher regard than another, or that religious values are better than atheist or agnostic ones. 

And since when did science become an atheist value?  Teaching children FACTS is not promoting any kind of belief, it's promoting an understanding and sense of the world around them.  Having religion in schools is basically saying that it is ok for public schools to teach a groundless faith as if it were hard fact. 

The US Government is not nor ever has been based on any Agnostic or Atheistic beliefs. Revise history all you want but the facts still hold strong.

[KEmperor]

Atheism is not a monolithic belief system, contrary to theist belief.