Oregon Is Turning Republican

[minionofmidas]

So, in other words, Oregon had a really weird registration pattern once that had nothing to do with its voting pattern (no, they didn't represent a former voting pattern either, apparently), and while voting patterns have not changed, registration patterns have fallen in line with voting patterns.

Interesting, but not meriting the thread title.

[minionofmidas]

In part... but all of these areas still voted more democratic than they did up to the 1980s, and Al Gore had done really, really great there.
And a big part of teh reason for that was that in 2000, he was the candidate perceived (in this region at least) as strong on security - not international security, but personal security, as exemplified that year by the issue of gun control. (A map of areas where the NRA has more influence than the Religious Right - although I'm not sure how to measure that - would probably look quite a bit like a map of the areas where Kerry did better than Gore had...)
2004 in the region was probably more of a return to normalcy than a freak "9/11 effect" - although this return to normalcy can be attributed in part to post-9/11 events.

[minionofmidas]

That as well. That issue probably played much better in the Northeast than in the Midwest or West.

[minionofmidas]

True that the largest swing happened between 92 and 96, forgot to mention that. Of course, the thing about the single-issue security vote being a Democrat vote also applies in 96 - not in 92 though.
I think the main reason I'm not focussing so much on 92 and 96, though, is that Perot makes the results harder to analyze.

[minionofmidas]

True that the largest swing happened between 92 and 96, forgot to mention that. Of course, the thing about the single-issue security vote being a Democrat vote also applies in 96 - not in 92 though.
I think the main reason I'm not focussing so much on 92 and 96, though, is that Perot makes the results harder to analyze.

Granted, but supposidly (according to some of the pundits) that Perot took more votes from Bush in 92 than Clinton, the 96 split was pretty much even.  Which would make the 92-96 swing even larger. 

Sure you don't have them the wrong way round?

[minionofmidas]

It is like an arranged marriage - the kids get pawned off and the parents get the benefits.

LOL, great comparison.