That map of the white vote in North Carolina is very interesting. I'm somewhat surprised by how relatively well Obama did among whites in the rural mountain counties.
I'm not surprised that they voted less Republican, I'm just surprised that Obama obtained 40% in several counties. I knew that Buncombe and Watauga were fairly liberal, I was just a little surprised about some of the other counties there.
I am aware that whites in the Lower South are the most overwhelmingly Republican today, though the opposite used to be true. The Lower South was solidly Democratic, Republicans stronger in mountainous ares for reasons dating back to the Civil War. Especially in East Tennessee, they sided with the Union and have been solidly Republican ever since, and are still mostly >70% Republican. It just seems that the Democratic vote jumps once you cross the border into North Carolina. I was just wondering about that.
