Regional votes

[Gustaf]

It seems to me that regional differences are more pronounced in the US than anywhere else.

Certain states almost always vote the same way. Kansas and Nebraska, for example, have voted the same way in every presidential election since 1908, when Kansas went for Taft and Nebraska for Bryan.

Illinois and Michigan have split only three times in the last century: 1968 when IL voted Rep and MI Dem, 1948 when it was reversed and 1912 when Michigan chose TR and Illinois went for Wilson.  

[Gustaf]

...Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have voted the same way in every election except 1992 when Montana voted for Clinton and 1944 and 1900 when Wyoming voted Rep and the two other voted Dem.

The Dakotas have voted the same way since 1912 and 1916, when ND voted Wilson both times, whereas SD voted for TR in 1912 and Hughes in 1916.

[Gustaf]

Most Southern states have very similar voting patterns, of course. Alabama and Mississippi have even both voted for Thurmond in 1948, Wallace in 1968 and both awarded most of their electors to Byrd in 1960. They have never split.

[Gustaf]

Is it possible to find 2 states that have never voted the same way througout the last 100 years? (D.C. doesn't count, it's not a state, and it hasn't existed for a long time enough. I also will not accept Hawaii or Alaska)

I think Vermont and Mississippi come closest. They have only united in support of Nixon in 1972, Reagan in 1980 and 1984 and Bush in 1988.

It is actually very hard to bet it below 5 elections, mostly b/c there has been enough landslides, so you have to pick states that have been solid enough to vote for one party despite a landslide. Vermont was such a state for the GOP during a long time, especially the Roosvelt era.

[Gustaf]

Massachusetts and Rhode Island have voted the same way in every election since 1900, with the exceptions of 1972, when Massachussets was the only state to support McGovern, and 1980, when Rhode Island went for Carter and Massachusetts didn't.  

[nclib]

Miss. and Ala. have never split; The Plains states (ND, SD, NE, KS) have all voted the same way for at least 75 years--I think ND and KS go back the longest.

There seems to be less consistency with the "Gore states". Ironically, the states that go farthest back are N. Mex. and Ill.--voting the same way since (including) 1920.

[Gustaf]

Miss. and Ala. have never split; The Plains states (ND, SD, NE, KS) have all voted the same way for at least 75 years--I think ND and KS go back the longest.

There seems to be less consistency with the "Gore states". Ironically, the states that go farthest back are N. Mex. and Ill.--voting the same way since (including) 1920.

Yeah, I noticed some of these odd cases as well, but I didn't post them b/c they weren't relevant to the regional theory. ND and KS have never split, that's true. Illinois and New Mexico voted the same way in 1912 as well, the first election where NM participated.

[bejkuy]

Oregon and Washington have similar voting patterns as they are similar states.

Washington is becoming more liberal than Oregon in recent years though, probably because it is much more urban.

[Gustaf]

Oregon and Washington have similar voting patterns as they are similar states.

Washington is becoming more liberal than Oregon in recent years though, probably because it is much more urban.

I think Wasington has always been more Democratic, they tend to split when there's a close election and the Western states are not solidly for one candidate, like in 1948 and 1968, in both cases Washington went Dem and Oregon Rep.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

FDR's campaign manager used to call it the "Washington Soviet"

[bejkuy]

Oregon and Washington have similar voting patterns as they are similar states.

Washington is becoming more liberal than Oregon in recent years though, probably because it is much more urban.

I think Wasington has always been more Democratic, they tend to split when there's a close election and the Western states are not solidly for one candidate, like in 1948 and 1968, in both cases Washington went Dem and Oregon Rep.

In 76', 80', 84', and 88', Washington was more GOP than Oregon.

Of course this was before the explosion (population wise) of the
Seattle metro area.

[Gustaf]

Oregon and Washington have similar voting patterns as they are similar states.

Washington is becoming more liberal than Oregon in recent years though, probably because it is much more urban.

I think Wasington has always been more Democratic, they tend to split when there's a close election and the Western states are not solidly for one candidate, like in 1948 and 1968, in both cases Washington went Dem and Oregon Rep.

In 76', 80', 84', and 88', Washington was more GOP than Oregon.

Of course this was before the explosion (population wise) of the
Seattle metro area.

I think it in a way proves my original point. Oregon tends to go against the Western trend, so during the time when the West was solidly Republican Oregon trended Democrat. It makes perfect sense and by the same time makes no sense at all.

[bejkuy]

I think there's a 50-50 chance Oregon will be within the Western trend this year.

Washington?  Doubtful.

[Gustaf]

I think there's a 50-50 chance Oregon will be within the Western trend this year.

Washington?  Doubtful.

Well, now the pacific trend is Democrat, so Oregon wil go against that...