Why do state capitals tend to be in conservative metropolitan areas?

[jimrtex]

The census bureau bases metropolitan areas more on commuter patterns than settlement patterns.   This can produce some odd results.  For example, the Flagstaff metropolitan area at one time extended into Utah, based on people commuting from a small rural county in Utah into Coconimo County, Arizona, even though this was a couple 100 miles from Flagstaff (and the other side of the Grand Canyon).

There was a concern that some parts of Nevada would be in the Sacramento metro area, since one of the California counties extends from outside Sacramento to the Lake Tahoe area.

[jimrtex]

The border area still is Democrat, but much less so that it has ever been in a long time,
probably around 60%-40% Kerry this time around (don't know for sure).

Kerry 55.5%-Bush 44.5% for the counties from Eagle Pass to Brownsville.

Bush carried Cameron County (as well as Nueces and Kleberg, not on the border of course).

Bexar was 54% Bush.  But if you include the counties ringing it, it is almost 60%.  Bush had a 54%
lead in Comal (New Braunfels) and a 60% lead in Kendall.