King County, Texas

[HAnnA MArin County]

Anyone have any insight into why this county gave John McCain his largest margin of victory in 2008? I believe it was something like 93-5 and it's a county where Obama received a grand total of 8 votes. I know some households around here that have more than 8 people living in them. 

[Ebowed]

Obama is a black, you see.

[Sam Spade]

King County is in the middle-of-fucking-nowhere-West-Texas, you see.  That's how people vote there, or least have in the past couple of decades (before that, probably Democratic voters or at least lean)

[Rob]

here's the inevitable human-interest article on the place http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/30/theyre-registered-democrats-but-they-didnt-support-obama/

At first, it was a challenge to get anyone to talk with us. We called ahead to let people know we were coming, but when we approached them people said they were simple people and had no desire to talk with us. Some people talked off camera about their concerns of having Barack Obama as their president. Others raised his religion as a concern still believing President Obama is a Muslim, but they weren’t comfortable going on camera.

The main concern from most people was morality. They feel President Obama doesn’t share their beliefs about abortion and were much more comfortable with John McCain and Sarah Palin leading the country.

[Nym90]

King County is in the middle-of-fucking-nowhere-West-Texas, you see.  That's how people vote there, or least have in the past couple of decades (before that, probably Democratic voters or at least lean)

In King County itself that's been true, but most of the area voted for Clinton, so there's a little more to the story than that.

[Rob]

King County is in the middle-of-fucking-nowhere-West-Texas, you see.  That's how people vote there, or least have in the past couple of decades (before that, probably Democratic voters or at least lean)

In King County itself that's been true, but most of the area voted for Clinton, so there's a little more to the story than that.

There are three counties in the area that almost voted for Gore in 2000.

Foard County

2000 (556 votes) Bush 51%, Gore 47%
2004 (587 votes) Bush 59%, Kerry 40%
2008 (538 votes) McCain 61%, Obama 37%

Haskell County

2000 (2,927 votes) Bush 51%, Gore 48%
2004 (2,416 votes) Bush 64%, Kerry 36%
2008 (2,116 votes) McCain 66%, Obama 33%

Fisher County

2000 (1,872 votes) Bush 52%, Gore 47%
2004 (1,923 votes) Bush 60%, Kerry 39%
2008 (1,784 votes) McCain 61%, Obama 39%

[Badger]

King County is in the middle-of-fucking-nowhere-West-Texas, you see.  That's how people vote there, or least have in the past couple of decades (before that, probably Democratic voters or at least lean)

In King County itself that's been true, but most of the area voted for Clinton, so there's a little more to the story than that.

There are three counties in the area that almost voted for Gore in 2000.

Foard County

2000 (556 votes) Bush 51%, Gore 47%
2004 (587 votes) Bush 59%, Kerry 40%
2008 (538 votes) McCain 61%, Obama 37%

Haskell County

2000 (2,927 votes) Bush 51%, Gore 48%
2004 (2,416 votes) Bush 64%, Kerry 36%
2008 (2,116 votes) McCain 66%, Obama 33%

Fisher County

2000 (1,872 votes) Bush 52%, Gore 47%
2004 (1,923 votes) Bush 60%, Kerry 39%
2008 (1,784 votes) McCain 61%, Obama 39%

Most southern conservatives gave up their "yellow dog democrat" voting patterns and started supporting Republicans in national elections a decade or two ago. Maybe this is just the last place in the south (or at least Texas) to give up the ghost on voting Democratic out of tradition rather than ideology?

[minionofmidas]

61-37 is hardly an overwhelming result for a place like that (Foard County) in 2008. Some of those yellow dogs are still alive and kicking the right lever.

[Rob]

61-37 is hardly an overwhelming result for a place like that (Foard County) in 2008. Some of those yellow dogs are still alive and kicking the right lever.

With the likely exception of Austin and environs, that may have been Obama's best showing among white Anglos in the state. I could actually see him carrying Foard, and a few other Plains counties, in 2012- assuming he wins a solid margin nationwide and hasn't imposed shar'ia law.

[minionofmidas]

61-37 is hardly an overwhelming result for a place like that (Foard County) in 2008. Some of those yellow dogs are still alive and kicking the right lever.

With the likely exception of Austin and environs, that may have been Obama's best showing among white Anglos in the state. I could actually see him carrying Foard, and a few other Plains counties, in 2012- assuming he wins a solid margin nationwide and hasn't imposed shar'ia law.

But he will, so it's moot.

[Mechaman]

Anyone have any insight into why this county gave John McCain his largest margin of victory in 2008? I believe it was something like 93-5 and it's a county where Obama received a grand total of 8 votes. I know some households around here that have more than 8 people living in them. 

I was reading the comment section on CNN.com when they covered this story and last post claimed to live around that area and said "98% of King Country if pro-life, if there was a margin that big it probably was an issue having to do with abortion." The post also said that "many of the white people have many black friends". Just a thought.

And this isn't me trying to make up for the comment on West Texans and illegal immigration, I really do think this situation had more to it than race.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Foard County actually tends to lean Dem in competitive races.  Until recently, Cottle County also favored Dems.  I'd have to look, but I think that Cottle might have even voted for Mondale.

[minionofmidas]

Foard County actually tends to lean Dem in competitive races.  Until recently, Cottle County also favored Dems.  I'd have to look, but I think that Cottle might have even voted for Mondale.

It did. So did Dickens, Stonewall, Fisher and Swisher.

[Nym90]

Cottle even voted for McGovern. When it voted for Bush in 2000, that was the first time it had ever gone GOP for President in the history of Atlas data.

[Rob]

I just noticed something: Obama won exactly eight votes in the general, sure, but he had 27 votes in the primary. Um...

[Franzl]

I just noticed something: Obama won exactly eight votes in the general, sure, but he had 27 votes in the primary. Um...

Perhaps because the GOP primary was already practically decided....so some Republicans voted in the Democratic primary without ever intending to support the Democratic ticket in the general?

[Alcon]

I just noticed something: Obama won exactly eight votes in the general, sure, but he had 27 votes in the primary. Um...

Not the only county where that happened, even: McMullen, Irion and Upton also cast more Obama votes in the primary than the general, although not nearly as ridiculously so.

I think Franzl's right.  There were 168 counties where more Democratic primary votes were cast than Obama votes in November.  It was more than twice as many in 31 counties, more than three times in 5, and more than ten times as many in King (ouch.)

It's a weirdly uneven distribution, though.  In two counties (Glasscock and Reagan), the combined Democratic total was below 40% of Obama's final showing.  Considering that three counties didn't even have Democratic primaries, I think there may be some inconsistencies in how the primaries were held that could cause these differences.  But what kind?  No idea...

[Rob]

Yeah, that must be the case. At first I thought it couldn't be right, because those people "should" have preferred Clinton or Edwards (anyone but Obama, really); but that might actually be the reason they voted for him in the primary. i.e., conservatives in an isolated area like King County might assume that the rest of the country felt the same way about Obama, and therefore he'd be easier to defeat?

I dunno.

[Alcon]

Yeah, that must be the case. At first I thought it couldn't be right, because those people "should" have preferred Clinton or Edwards (anyone but Obama, really); but that might actually be the reason they voted for him in the primary. i.e., conservatives in an isolated area like King County might assume that the rest of the country felt the same way about Obama, and therefore he'd be easier to defeat?

I dunno.

If Obama got those sort of votes, I'd bet good money that Clinton got more.