Homely's new maps thread

[Linus Van Pelt]

The abstract regional issues are important, but I don't think they explain on their own why the difference was so large. Paladino had unusually differing images inside his home region and outside it, due to his unusual history and bizarre gubernatorial campaign. Even though he hadn't held elected office, he was well-known in Buffalo even among the relatively apolitical due to his championing of consumer-protection-type causes with a strongly populist and mostly nonpartisan appeal, such as his campaign against highway tolls and his lawsuit to try to lower electrical bills. But then voters in the rest of the state knew none of this and just saw his racist e-mails, homophobic remarks, threatening of reporters, etc.

[Linus Van Pelt]

Excellent work.

Interesting that even in 2012, there's still that cluster of Obama municipalities in the Mon Valley, as well as those strips of old anthracite areas in Schuylkill.