Most conservative U.S. counties which voted for Kerry

[Alcon]

Woah, but what standard are we determining "conservative"?

To call Buffalo County "conservative" is going by a very, very weird definition.

[Alcon]

I mean the most old-fashioned or traditionalist. Conservative counties tend to be religious and built on strong moral values.

You way misunderstand Lakota attitudes toward government and religion, then.  Look at the results on the gay marriage ban (it failed Buffalo County badly and was murdered in Shannon County) and the abortion ban (again, failed in Buffalo and slaughtered in Shannon).

They certainly have traditions.  They certainly are religious.  But outside of the conservative Catholic (IIRC) dominated Corson County, where the Indians lean pro-life but are left (by South Dakota standards) on gay rights, I might even dare call the Lakota socially left-leaning.

This is, though, a major simplification of a group with a deep distrust of government.

[Alcon]

It is rIt would be really interesting to understand how eople can have such disjointed ideas about religion and government. What do you contend that it is?

I'm not quite sure I'd call the Lakota all that conservative religiously.  There's some conservative Catholics.  But as a voting bloc, they are:

1. Nothing like religiously conservative voters.  They're hardly social leftists, but they lean left on most every issue.  And they have a huge libertarian streak.

2. They do NOT trust the government.  A 2006 referendum to strip judges on their legal protections received 11% of the vote in South Dakota.  In Shannon county, 42%; in Todd County, 41%.

As for economic conservativeness?  Hell no.

It might be simplifying it (Lewis can elaborate on the socio-theo-political stuff more), but the Lakota are kind of anti-government liberals of sorts.  Even on social issues.

[Alcon]

Woah, but what standard are we determining "conservative"?

To call Buffalo County "conservative" is going by a very, very weird definition.

I mean the most old-fashioned or traditionalist. Conservative counties tend to be religious and built on strong moral values.

how on earth do you quantify this?

He doesn't.  Willy seems to enjoy statistics, to the point where he makes up supporting evidence just to have them.

Which is kind of fun to think about and discuss, but for some reason, he then implies he has some sort of supporting evidence, and lies if he doesn't.

Which sucks, because the stuff he's fantasy-measuring is oftentimes quite interesting.