Rhode Island has only 3 counties. What is more impressive is that none of South Carolinas (many) counties voted republican for 11 straight elections back in the early 20th century
South Carolina was the D.C. of the late 19th and early 20th Century. The Democratic Party was simply the party that the voters voted for. A good example is that South Carolinians really didn't like Woodrow Wilson in 1912. The South Carolinian delegates voted for Champ Clark at the Convention in Baltimore on all 16 ballots cast. Yet they all voted for him due to the (D) by his name.
I agree. Political parties are much weaker today than they were 100 years ago simply because people are better informed and vote more on individual positions rather than playing it safe with parties. 100 years ago, they did not see much opposition to their local viewpoint. If you lived in Vermont, everyone around you is republican. You will vote republican. If you lived in SC everyone around you is democrat. you vote democrat. Strangely, it was the advancements made in communications and media that led to the decrease in emphasis placed on party platforms, and the increase in emphasys based on the individual canidates beliefs. This is why Massachusetts for example, now has a republican governor, yet still votes 60-70% in favor of democratic candidates during presidential elections.
