Since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to run some numbers from Kansas, to see "what's the matter with Kansas" or "what's right with Kansas" depending upon one's political paradigms.
Namely the wealthiest county within the state, and if you were to look at the total population (552k), would be larger than many other well known cities within the US, including Tucson, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, and yes even larger than Kansas City....
I confess it's also a placed I enjoyed visiting a few times some 20+ years back, along with KC and one of the "cool" places least on the national radar.
Johnson County Kansas-----
Sixth wealthiest places....
1.) Mission Hills- MHI $226.3k--- Pop 3.5k
2012: (31 D- 68 R) +37 R
2016: (47 D- 46 R) + 1 D (+38% Dem Swing) !!!
2.) Leawood- MHI $136.0k-- Pop 32.3k
2012: (34 D- 65 R) +31 R
2016: (44 D- 48 R) + 4 R (+27% Dem Swing)
3.) Mission Woods- MHI $ 135.6k-- Pop 160
2012: (49 D- 49 R) Tie
2016: (57 D- 39 R) +18 D (+18% Dem Swing)
4.) Lake Quivira- MHI $129.3k- Pop 910
2012: (32 D- 67 R) +35 R
2016: (29 D- 54 R) +25 R (+10% Dem Swing)---- Look at those 3rd Party Votes?!?
5.) Westwood Hills- MHI $118.8k- Pop 420
2012: (59 D- 40 R) +19 D
2016: (68 D- 24 R) +44 D (+23% Dem Swing)
6.) Fairway---- MHI $106.1k--- Pop 3.9k
2012: (49* D- 49 R) +0% D
2016: (60 D- 28 R) +32 D (+32% Dem Swing)
WTF is going on here?
Although I confess I am not an expert on the KC area, these swings are astounding compared to virtually anywhere else we have seen, where 15-20% swings are not totally uncommon within the context of the '16 Presidential Election among many relatively affluent voters.
What I do wonder is what extent did HRC benefit from a backlash against the hijacking of the Kansas Republican Party by economic and social conservatives, and additionally is this part of a longer term local realignment within Kansas politics that will remain and allow Kansas to become competitive again at statewide, and even potentially at some point in the future at the Presidential level....
Anyways---- thought I would share and see if any of y'all have an opinion.
Anti-Trump sentiment + Anti-Brownback sentiment + high education = big democratic swing!
I also think that KC is one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest. That kind of economic dynamism is changing the city and its suburbs quite rapidly, and increased economic dynamism often spells more social/political dynamism as well as people become less wed to the old ways of life.
