What Makes Phoenix So Red?

[BamaLefty]

Maricopa is the only thing standing between Arizona and a shade of blue.

I read on Wiki that Maricopa County was over 75% white (65% non-Hispanic). But then again the per capita income is $45,000... splitting the financial vote down the middle. Clinton only lost Maricopa by 2% in 1996... and he went on to win AZ.

I hope some of you AZ DUers can explain this. I see a lot of hope in your state...

[Dora]

1. I don't live in Arizona anymore, but I did for 27 years

Left there in '97 and haven't missed Phoenix yet.

I think it's the snowbirds, the retirees from the midwest who come to Phoenix and Scottsdale to play golf and swim. As well, there are a LOT of land developers and corporate interests in Maricopa County - not a very Democratic-leaning crowd.

My mother wants to know when I'll move back home to Arizona....

(crickets chirping)

[BamaLefty]

2. I Thought About That.

The wealthy retirees.

[HockeyMom]

3. My niece moved to Phoenix from NYC

2 years ago. She hates the cold weather, but she is a registered Democrat and definitely Anti Bush. She is also 35 and gay. She met a woman from Phoenix, while still living here, and they have been living together there now for almost two years.

I guess the Southwest is gaining in popularity among the snowbirds of the Northeast. Besides my niece, I know of three other couples (40s and 50s) from NY who moved to Arizona and New Mexico. Besides the weather, they cited the lower cost of living, as opposed that in Florida.

[Hello_Kitty]

12. Hey did you know this?

Phoenix is the lesbian capital of the U.S., according to an article I read in USA Today a few years ago. The Valley of the Sun was described as a "lesbian mecca" with the highest per capita percentage of gay women.

Pretty cool, huh?

[Robeysays]

13. huh wow did know that now i do. n/t

[blondeatlast]

18. That's a biggie right there. The Sun Citizens tend to GOTV in droves. nt

[Patty Diana]

4. I live here_____it's those paperless voting machines...

aside from my brother, I don't know anyone who voted for these GOP fuckers

[blondeatlast]

19. I've lived here for 35 years, been active in Dem politics since

my teen years, and sadly, I know dozens upon dozens of people who voted for the creep and still support him.

Voting machines were NOT used in Maricopa County, by far the most populous county, so I don't think that explains it. Pima Copunty and Coconino County used them and still both went solidly blue as usual.

I don't discount voting machines as a problem, but it doesn't explain our consistent Red hue at all.

[madaboutharry]

5. This part of Arizona is very Fundi.

It is much like Kansas in a fundi kind of way. Very conservative social views and very Christian with a right wing bend. I think that the republican vote gets what it needs from people who are voting their religious and social views.

[NoodleBoy]

6. typical suburb/exurb voting patterns magnified 5 times since there's

almost no urban downtown Phoenix and less for the cities of Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Buckeye, etc, etc, etc.

The strongest support for us in Arizona comes from smaller cities. There are 2 Democratic members of the Phoenix city council (plus the mayor), but in tiny ass towns like San Luis, Hayden, and Miami there's a big Democratic majority.

Eschewing the ridiculous typical "big city = democrat" equation that rules the political stereotype and campaigning in those smaller cities and towns is what got Napoliano elected.

By the way, where did you come up with those 1996 county numbers?

[BamaLefty]

7. Link

With this link, you can scroll to look at results from all Presidential elections taken place after the dinosaurs became extinct. It breaks the results down on the national, state, congressional district, and even town in some states (ME and NH). It also has a feature where you can compare the 2000 election with the 2004 on a county level.

Very interesting site that I have used quite a bit. Enjoy.

http://uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/

[NoodleBoy]

8. thanks dude

[BamaLefty]

9. no prob n/t

[Robeysays]

14. wo wo wo now come tempe i saw in the paper.

voted 66 percent democrat in the last election, the map was split in to state congresional districts, 17 was solid blue.

[NoodleBoy]

17. that's because of Tempe's large student/public employee population

but, at the same time, Tempe's voting strength has been districted away. Remember, 6-term US Rep JD "3 terms and I'm done" Heyworth represents that area.

[lady lib]

10. Our local papers are red.

I've given up on The Arizona Republic (except for the cartoonist Benson) and The East Valley Tribune - they're incorrigible.

Another factor is the large Mormon population which has become heavily Republican.

[Catshrink]

20. If you drove through Gilbert you would see a new LDS church every mile

or so. I think I've seen 3 new ones go up the past year. As a group, Mormons tend to vote conservatively.

And then there are the fundies....

[azndndude]

11. Tempe only city to vote blue in 2004 Pres. Election

[Robeysays]

16. i just have to say this.

TEMPE! TEMPE! TEMPE! TEMPE!, do you live here?

[readermostly]

21. Thanks for posting that info. Didn't know that. Now I feel better about

my vote counting here. Hopefully, we can change things around soon.

[Robeysays]

15. i give it at the most 5 years until we are mostly blue. n/t

[Is It Fascism Yet]

22. Its because the secretary of state is a cheating whore who doesn't ever

count the mail votes. That simple.

[NoodleBoy]

23. source?

[toc001]

24. Mormons, baptists and rednecks, Oh My!

I am Catholic and our church was predominantly Republican this time around and they didn't make any bones about it. The Bishop, was one of the ones who said that he would have to talk to Kerry before he gave him Communion.

We have alot of Evangelical or born again Catholics.

We also seem to be getting alot of CA conservatives moving over here as well.

[jillan]

25. Mega - churches going up on every corner!

It's amazing. I'm in a new section of Chandler, and they are popping up everywhere.

BUT - I don't think Az is as red as people think.
Right before the election, the local polls showed Kerry & * in a virtual tie.

Then again - my co-workers are repugs, neighborhood was full of * stickers. But someone on the main intersection by my house made sure there was a Kerry sign on all 4 corners:P If the wind or rain ruined one, a new one went up in its place. O8) It made me smile everyday.