Discuss with maps!: County map requests for 2008 election results

[All Along The Watchtower]

Why are those places in the southeast part of Boulder county, which seem to be affluent suburbs, so Democratic? Was there a huge swing there in 2008?

Affluent, but also very socially liberal and generally agree with Democrats on foreign policy. The culture war stuff really turns them off too.

But they seem to vote differently from other Denver suburbs. Are they much more socially liberal due to their proximity to Boulder? IIRC the gay marriage ban passed in all of the Denver suburban counties, except for Boulder obviously.

Their employment is largely in IT. Well-educated white professionals, a group that trended strongly towards Obama.

That's very interesting. The IT boom has also made the bay area more liberal, imo. Are the IT companies mostly located towards Boulder? I am just trying to figure out why the southern part of the Denver metro seems so much more Republican. Is it because that area is wealthier?

Yeah, generally that's where the rich live. Douglas county has fourth highest median household income of all US counties, between $90k and $100k in 2007 estimates.

Additionally, there aren't very many Hispanics or blacks compared to Denver and Aurora.

Isn't there also a strong evangelical Christian presence in the southern Denver suburbs?

[All Along The Watchtower]

Why are those places in the southeast part of Boulder county, which seem to be affluent suburbs, so Democratic? Was there a huge swing there in 2008?

Affluent, but also very socially liberal and generally agree with Democrats on foreign policy. The culture war stuff really turns them off too.

But they seem to vote differently from other Denver suburbs. Are they much more socially liberal due to their proximity to Boulder? IIRC the gay marriage ban passed in all of the Denver suburban counties, except for Boulder obviously.

Their employment is largely in IT. Well-educated white professionals, a group that trended strongly towards Obama.

That's very interesting. The IT boom has also made the bay area more liberal, imo. Are the IT companies mostly located towards Boulder? I am just trying to figure out why the southern part of the Denver metro seems so much more Republican. Is it because that area is wealthier?

What's interesting about the IT boom is that many of the large IT companies were (some still are) lead by Republicans who voted for Republicans up until 1992. The anti-intellectual and heavily religious streak of the Contract for America Republicans, plus H.W. Bush's failed economic policies, drew them away from the GOP.