the upper Midwest point 2: polls

[bushforever]

What is with this area anyway??  They are so unique in that they have huge blocks of rural votes.  It's the area I like to call Cedar.  Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, Iowa City, Quad Cities, Ottumwa, Madison, Janesville, LaCrosse, Eau Claire, Winona, Albert Lea, Des Moines, Plattville, and just about every rural county in between.  While at the same time, suburban Chicago and suburban Milwaukee vote heavily Republican in comparison.  It's always intrigued me how the Dems have consitently edged out the Republicans here in rural and small-city America.  Is it the unions?  Is it the proximity to water?  Is it lack of GOP attn.?  This area is by far, the exception to every rule and stereotype about voting demographics/geography.

[bushforever]

What is with this area anyway??  They are so unique in that they have huge blocks of rural votes.  It's the area I like to call Cedar.  Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, Iowa City, Quad Cities, Ottumwa, Madison, Janesville, LaCrosse, Eau Claire, Winona, Albert Lea, Des Moines, Plattville, and just about every rural county in between.  While at the same time, suburban Chicago and suburban Milwaukee vote heavily Republican in comparison.  It's always intrigued me how the Dems have consitently edged out the Republicans here in rural and small-city America.  Is it the unions?  Is it the proximity to water?  Is it lack of GOP attn.?  This area is by far, the exception to every rule and stereotype about voting demographics/geography.

It's part of a rapidly dwindling Farmer-Progressive political cuture that is slowly being taken over by the Flyover-Megachurch political culture.  It was once a much larger area, spreading all over the upper Mississippi valley and into the Dakotas.  The area of Southeast Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and Eastern Iowa is one of the last strongholds.  By 2020, only the cities will be Democrat, and the whole countryside will be Republican, just like rural Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and eastern Wisconsin.

Really?  Well, I'm certainly glad about that.  I guess, county-wise, this area is trending GOP.  I wonder if suburban growth will ever take off in any of these cities?  It usually yields good results for the GOP but places like Sun Prairie, WI and Coralville, IA have done little for the GOP.  I wonder if that will change.  I'm also discouraged that Bush did worse in Grant Co., WI, a rural place where he campaigned heavily.