States that bucked the electoral trend

[eric82oslo]

In almost every presidential election, there are states going in the opposite direction of where the wind blows that year. With that I mean that a state can witness a growth in the percentage for the party which retracts on a national level compared to the last election. In 2012 this happened with a good handful of states, which experienced a growth in the Democratic votes relative to the Republican votes. Let's have a longer view looking at several elections back in recent memory and compare them with the 2012 outcome. So I ask again: Which states bucked the trend?

2008-2012: 45 +GOP vs 6 +Dem

National trend: GOP +3.41%
States that bucked the trend: (6)

*Alaska - Dem +7.55%
*New Jersey - Dem +2.24%
*Mississippi - Dem +1.67%
*Louisiana - Dem +1.42%
*New York - Dem +1.32%
*Maryland - Dem +0.64%


2004-2012: 41 +Dem vs 10 +GOP

National trend: Dem +6.32%
States that bucked the trend: (10)

*Arkansas - GOP +13.93%
*West Virginia - GOP +13.9%
*Tennessee - GOP +6.13%
*Kentucky - GOP +2.83%
*Louisiana - GOP +2.7%
*Utah - GOP +2.5%
*Oklahoma - GOP +2.4%
*Missouri - GOP +2.18%
*Massachusetts - GOP +2.02%
*Wyoming - GOP +1.03%


2000-2012: 36 Dem+ vs 15 GOP+

National trend: Dem +3.34%
States that bucked the trend: (15)

*West Virginia - GOP +20.44%
*Arkansas - GOP +18.25%
*Tennessee - GOP +16.54%
*Oklahoma - GOP +11.66%
*Louisiana - GOP +9.53%
*Kentucky - GOP +7.56%
*Utah - GOP +7.55%
*Alabama - GOP +7.27%
*Missouri - GOP +6.04%
*Massachusetts - GOP +4.16%
*Arizona - GOP +2.77%
*Rhode Island - GOP +1.62%
*Kansas - GOP +0.92%
*Wyoming - GOP +0.76%
*Connecticut - GOP +0.14%


1996-2012: 37 GOP+ vs 14 Dem+

National trend: GOP +4.66%
States that bucked the trend: (14)

*Hawaii - Dem +17.42%
*Vermont - Dem +13.34%
*California - Dem +10.23%
*Maryland - Dem +10.09%
*Washington D.C. +7.78%
*Colorado - Dem +6.74%
*Virginia - Dem +5.83%
*Nevada - Dem +5.66%
*Oregon - Dem +4.0%
*Alaska - Dem +3.54%
*Delaware - Dem +3.38%
*New Mexico - Dem +2.82%
*North Carolina - Dem +2.65%
*Washington - Dem +2.33%

I might continue with 1992 and 1988 another day.

Any comments? Any a-ha moments?