The only thing that stopped Obama from a 10% national popular vote victory.

[blueclown]

This map says it all.



Notice what region swinged to McCain most heavily from 2004 to 2008? George W Bush did as good as a candidate could do in the South... or so we thought.

Without the black belt, Obama would have absolutely been slaughtered in that region.

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. wow, arkansas

how did that state elect Bill Clinton again?

[Richardo]

7. Well, it's a relative measure

It just says they were more GOP than last time. Maybe the Clinton effect is just wearing off and they're returning to form.

[Orsino]

38. Bentonville is now the state capital...

...and Wal-Mart rules all.

[votetastic]

2. Wow, look at Indiana!

[Barack_America]

21. Wow! I had assumed that was Illinois!

I'm not used to seeing solid blue in that particular location on the map!

That's truly amazing.

[johnnyrocket]

30. It's like everyone in Indiana was hit in the head with a tire iron, and they 'got it'.

[Iwasthere]

3. That is a beautiful map

IMO the only thing that stopped 10%, "Provisionals" This needs to be exposed

[leeno]

4. is there a larger version of this map you can link?

I love all the post-election maps!

[izzie]

18. They had one with county brake down. Where I forget

I would like to see 2000-2004-2008 next to each other on that brake down. The country moves from Dem. to Gop and back and I think we are in the move to the Dem. for sure. Most likely will work until their ego gets the best of them, as always goes on with power. I do think the Dem. do better in moving the country ahead and holding on to some over sight of the greed that does take over the GOP

[phantom power]

5. I'm going to step out on a limb, and call that the "hard-core racist belt"

[TomInTib]

10. That ain't no limb, man, you're standing on solid ground.

That's Redneck Region, for sure.

[phantom power]

16. It nicely explains the deltas. A black candiate ran..

and those areas experienced a huge upsurge in GOP votes. Hmmmm.... Wonder what might have caused that, out there in rural Appalachia and the deep south...

[TomInTib]

22. The Winnebago Vote

There is a place in East Texas with 12,000 residents.

In file cabinets.

Check it out...

http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2860

[BigAnth]

35. I thought that was the BIBLE belt?????

[AnnitaR]

31. I live in East TN & I totally agree.

Not everyone by any means... but such a large number of redneck racists around here. Sad part is that not all of the racists are stupid rednecks! Some of my co-workers at work you just would never guess would be racists have shown their true colors during this election. Saddens me that I live in the midst of these people.

I hope those of you that live in Blue states know how lucky you are!

[Richardo]

6. Almost all of Arkansas and Tennessee

Is that because they still had residual Clinton/Gore blue voters in 2004?

[blueclown]

12. No.

Kerry did much worse than Gore/Clinton did in those areas. And Obama did worse than kerry.

[Richardo]

15. Interesting

Thanks for that. :patriot:

Looks like the Palin message was going over very strong there.

[Barack_America]

23. The map also perfectly illustrates Katrina's effect on Louisiana. nt

[iceman66]

8. LONG LINES cost Barack at least a few points nationally

In America, in 2008, NO ONE should have to stand in line for hours to vote!

[Wetzelbill]

9. my home area in Montana is a dark dark blue

:)

[Uzybone]

11. The GOP Base for 2012

I will continue to pray.

[sniffa]

13. The 52 number doesn't seem to make since though

McCain won one big population state by a good number, and Obama kicked his ass in the others. Seems the number should be higher.

Not to mention McCain winning only 19 states.

[defendandprotect]

25. Right .. a landslide -- and everything should be higher ---

[Drunken Irishman]

14. YAY UTAH!!!!!!

[codjh9]

17. Isn't it bizarre what a ... Bible Belt... that makes?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Barack_America]

19. Are we sure we lost Georgia?

:shrug:

[ProgressiveEconomist]

20. Does anybody have separate national county maps for 2008, 2004, 2000, and 1996?

John King showed them on CNN, but I can't find them on the CNN website.

IIRC, while prior-year maps showed scatterings of blue throughout the South for prior years, the 2008 map was solid red outside Georgia and the Southern states states Obama won.

That solid red swath of the country may be what "radical" Rev Jeremiah Wright called, in the RNC's ads, the "US of KKK A".

[Not a robought]

24. Any thoughts on why Louisiana is red?

I would have thought hurricane Katrina would have had more of an impact while bush and McCain ate cake?

[Barack_America]

27. It's Katrina.

Those without couldn't come back.

With so much housing destroyed, rental rates went through the roof and jobs were hard to come by. Many who tried to return couldn't stay. :(

Also remember that the flooding of NO disproportionately wiped out poor neighborhoods.

[Firespirit]

32. Yes, it is indeed

Of the tens of thousands of NO residents who simply never came back, they mostly split between the Jackson-Vicksburg MS area and the Houston TX area. Notice how much bluer those areas are, and how much redder the coast of Louisiana and the areas around N.O. are. That's evidence of the effect.

My God, I am ashamed of my state and region. They didn't come out to vote Palin. They didn't come out to vote Wicker. They came out to vote against Obama, against a black man, and it's that simple. I give up on the South Central. As soon as I am able, I'm getting out of here and moving to one of the three BLUE southern states.

[Blue_Roses]

28. Louisiana is my homestate and it is always a puzzle...other than obvious racism

and oppression. I wish Louisiana could finally step out of the civil rights era and come into the 21st century.

[ShenandoahAspen]

26. Wow, even my redneck county shifted Democratic.

It was less than 5%, and my county still voted 68%-31% in favor of McCain -- but maybe there's still hope for my county left!

[HughMoran]

29. Nice a "where NOT to live" map!!

This will be my gold standard as to where the hardcore right-wing bigots live and where I don't even want to visit, nevermind live.

[TheKentuckian]

33. Shoot, I still believe that if Obama was named

Larry Nelson, David Johnson, Barry Davis, or Tim Hall that he'd have picked up at least 3% and possibly more. The name helped give a lot of traction to the lying smears and the fear factor.

Its cool though, one day there will be quite a few little white kids coming up named Barack.

[csziggy]

34. Note that the map is not which counties actually voted blue this time

It shows the "pct. pts." change from 2004. That is why places that are blue on this map may not have actually had a majority blue this time around. It DOES show the change towards a more blue country!

[Cognitive_Resonance]

36. Ozarks and Appalachia . nt

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

37. KY, TN, AR, and OK are truly America's armpit...

Yah IN! A beacon of blue.