Here's a few maps. The first 3 should be self-explanatory. The fourth map uses the benchmarks (margins) for each county that NYT put out yesterday afternoon for a very close race, and then compares the final margins in each county to that. It's worth noting that as a whole/statewide, NYT's benchmarks were quite good - and even held up well in most of the counties.
Green means Moore's margin was less than expected/Jones' was greater than expected.
Red means Moore's margin was greater than expected/Jones' was less than expected.
Some very clear patterns but not inherently tied to any partisan or racial patterns in the state:
I still find the 2012 vs 2017 more interesting because there's a segment of rural low education white voters out there that didn't like Roy Moore's antics enough to vote against him in 2012, but throw in some child molesting and they swing towards Moore in 2017. Maybe there is some kind of flag they can fly to show their pride in rallying around the diddler.
While the suburbs ignored trump's grab pussy tape and voted for him despite it, child molesting was a step too far.
In contrast in rural areas, that went even more right-wing because of trump doing it so its ok, said meh its fine.
Sweet home Alabama, where the skies are so blue
Neil Young wrote a couple of songs in the early 70s, Southern Man and Alabama, that were critical of the racist lynching ways of the South and the second song, obviously, singled out Alabama.
Lynyrd Skynyrd retorted in 1974 with Sweet Home Alabama which included these lyrics:
Well I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A southern man don't need him around anyhow
In 1980 Warren Zevon wrote a little vignette, Play it All Night Long, that imagined what Southern country living was really like, as seen through a Southern Man drinking and playing Lynyrd Skynrd loud to try to forget his considerable troubles. The first part of the lyrics are in my sig below. Personally, I think Roy could have been Grandpa, Billy and Daddy in the song.
shout out to this song. i was embarrassingly singing to this an hour after doug jones won. it really is reminiscent of the working class roots of the state as well as having themes regarding FDR and the old democrats. (Ignoring the racial attitudes)
