Repudiation ?
By Barry Ritholtz - November 6th, 2008, 6:53AM
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I am a political independent, and when I see a graph like this, I have to wonder: Was this a shift away from the GOP, or towards the Dems, or simply a repudiation of W. ?
I don’t pretend to know — but the map sure implies a major change. Was it a one off, or a major, Reagan-like realignment.
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Source:
Zell Miller was right — sort of
Paul Krugman
NYT, November 5, 2008, 6:45 pm
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/zell-miller-was-right-sort-of/
November 6th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Hard to see the details on the tiny pic.
My guess is much is just a reaction to W, but there are other factors.
Much along the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast could be accounted for by the exile of many of the poor, who have generally voted Democratic.
In New Orleans, it was mostly middle class and poor blacks, although somehow the middle class black areas don’t get the movie star visits and publicity. Rebuilding seems to be generally a function of wealth since even insurance generally didn’t pay fully. And many of the poor didn’t have insurance. It’s still pretty depressing to drive through those areas. Many relocated to Houston, although a lot of higher wage earners like my wife did to. But we are Democrats
Western La. was his by Rita right after Katrina. Didn’t get as much coverage because there were fewer deaths and not as big urban areas to attract cameras, but it was pretty devastating to many places along the coast. I imagine the same pattern of dislocation of the poor was followed, although it was probably also racially mixed.
From what I’ve read, same pattern followed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, although the dispossessed are more racially divided. And that prince of a fellow, Haley Barbour, is only to glad to see them go.
I know that some hurricans have affected the Fla. panhandle since 2004, but don’t know the details. There, it could just be that the areas have great beaches (some of the best I’ve seen) and the wealthy have moved in.
November 6th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I am an independent as well, and from what I have read and witnessed personally is that the greatest gain in voters — the young, first time, and formerly disenfranchised — were overwhelmingly “blue.” This may last, if Obama can keep the baser instincts of the right and left at bay.