The NEW Red vs. Blue US map.

[Ramo]

True. It has more to do with the growing authoritarian trend of the GOP in general.

[Ramo]

Incidentally, Arizona voters rejected a gay marriage ban and South Dakota voters rejected an abortion ban. The West

[Drake Tungsten]

I'd argue that the GOP's abadonment of small government principles has hurt them more than a rush to "authoritarianism", but both probably play a role.

[Drake Tungsten]

Arizona voters rejected a gay marriage ban

Good for them, but not really indicative of the trend in the West. Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Montana and Colorado all have constitutional bans on gay marriage.

[Ramo]

The temporal trends are looking very good. South Dakota, for instance, narrowly passed a ban by 4%. The numbers this year are much better than just a couple years ago, and the West is pretty distinctive from the South (see the numbers for gay marriage bans in TN and SC).

[Drake Tungsten]

I wouldn't really consider South Dakota a part of the West. The western parts of the state are, but most of the population is in the eastern part of the state. Same as Nebraska...

[chequita guevara]

What would you consider them, Midwestern? South Dakota and Nebraska were both part of the West historically. Maybe you're dividing by ranch culture v grain culture?

[Drake Tungsten]

What would you consider them, Midwestern? South Dakota and Nebraska were both part of the West historically. Maybe you're dividing by ranch culture v grain culture?

Western Nebraska seems like part of the West. Eastern Nebraska seems more like Iowa and other Midwestern states, however. The boundary seems to be between the relatively dry, wheat-growing/ranching High Plains and the moister, corn-growing areas nearer the Missouri River. The eastern part of the state dominates politics at the state level and produces most of the representatives at the federal level, so it's hard to argue that Nebraska is really part of the West as pertains to politics...

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Arizona voters rejected a gay marriage ban

Good for them, but not really indicative of the trend in the West. Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Montana and Colorado all have constitutional bans on gay marriage.

There was an article on Slate that explained the only reason the amendment lost in Arizona was poor, excessively broad wording that would've yanked all benifits/protections from all unmarried couples. Reword it more specifically to target gays and *presto* it'll pass with ease.



-Arrian

[Krill]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
anyway, I have to be sincere, French are much worse than the USA with farm subsidies

Corrected

[Drake Tungsten]

Here's an article on the political differences between western and eastern South Dakota. Generally backs up what I was saying before...

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/11/09/news/top/news02.txt

[Admiral]

Originally posted by Arrian


There was an article on Slate that explained the only reason the amendment lost in Arizona was poor, excessively broad wording that would've yanked all benifits/protections from all unmarried couples. Reword it more specifically to target gays and *presto* it'll pass with ease.



-Arrian

Maybe, but a similarly poorly worded ban was on the ballot in Virginia, and won by a landslide. Which is itself interesting, because that means that around 20% of the electorate voted for Jim Webb and voted to ban gay marriage. So much for the "value voters," eh?

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Admiral


Maybe, but a similarly poorly worded ban was on the ballot in Virginia, and won by a landslide. Which is itself interesting, because that means that around 20% of the electorate voted for Jim Webb and voted to ban gay marriage. So much for the "value voters," eh?

That's probably because of Virginia's high black population. They are overwhelmingly democrats, but many are very religious and socially conservative. I'd bet that much of that 20% represents black voters.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Wow. I guess this shows the whole "Northeast = Dem, South = GOP" meme is bull****...

sorry to have to point this out, but the Dem districts down south map pretty well to the areas where the soil was richest, and cotton and other cash crops grew best. and no, its not about ag subsidies. THINK. Missippi Delta, south Georgia, Carolina low country,etc. (and while Ark and Tenn are partial exceptions, its still a factor there)

[Drake Tungsten]

Gotcha...