An exercise in partisanship: Macon County, AL

[Gabu]

I was flipping through the 1994-1990 Senate results, and I found the following funny enough to post:

Alabama at large

1992

Richard C. Shelby (D): 64.82%
Richard Sellers (R): 33.09%

1998

Richard C. Shelby (R): 63.24%
Clayton Suddith (D): 36.69%

Macon County

1992

Richard C. Shelby (D): 88.10%
Richard Sellers (R): 9.05%

1998

Clayton Suddith (D): 79.34%
Richard C. Shelby (R): 20.62%

Exact same guy.  Different party.  Completely opposite results.

htmldon, your evil twin is looking for you...

[RBH]

Macon County also went 83/13 for Clinton in 1992 while Bush won the state 48/41.

[Gabu]

Macon County also went 83/13 for Clinton in 1992 while Bush won the state 48/41.

Yes, Macon County is well known for being ridiculously partisan.  The main reason why I found this particular example funny, however, is because it's the exact same guy, only in a different party, and all of a sudden Macon County wants nothing to do with him, after nearly voting 90% for him six years before.

[Alcon]

Yep.  Alabama blacks are a wee bit partisan.

[bullmoose88]

Yep.  Alabama blacks are a wee bit partisan.

Aren't African Americans in general fiercely loyal to the Democratic Party?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The only county Shelby lost in '92 was Shelby. Which was also his best county in '98 and '04.
Suburban Whites are also extremely partisan in Alabama.

[GOP = Terrorists]

Yep.  Alabama blacks are a wee bit partisan.

Aren't African Americans in general fiercely loyal to the Democratic Party?

Yep.  Blame Nixon and the Dixiecrats.

[Rob]

The only county Shelby lost in '92 was Shelby. Which was also he best county in '98 and '04.
Suburban Whites are also extremely partisan in Alabama.

True; there's hyperpartisanship everywhere. Nebraska State Auditor Kate Witek was elected with 64 percent of the vote in 2002 as a Republican. She switched parties in office and won only 39 percent as a Democrat in 2006. In Blaine County, she went from 79 percent of the vote to 19 percent.

[Gabu]

The only county Shelby lost in '92 was Shelby.

I noticed that too.  Gave me a chuckle.

[TheresNoMoney]

Alabama and Mississippi are both very partisan on the presidential and Senatorial level. Blacks vote 90% for Democrats and whites vote 80% for Republicans.

[7,052,770]

the only county Lester Spell (MS Ag. Commisioner) lost in 2003 was DeSoto County.  He'll probably break 75% there this time.

[nclib]

Of course, majority-black counties vote solidly Democratic. What is interesting about Macon, AL is that it seems to be even more partisan than other counties with comparable black percentages.

[memphis]

Of course, majority-black counties vote solidly Democratic. What is interesting about Macon, AL is that it seems to be even more partisan than other counties with comparable black percentages.

Macon is over 80% black. There aren't really too many counties with comparable percentages. The few out there (Greene, AL and Claiborne, MS) are equally Democratic. Blacks, regardless of location or socio-economic status are more partisan than any other group in America.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Of course, majority-black counties vote solidly Democratic. What is interesting about Macon, AL is that it seems to be even more partisan than other counties with comparable black percentages.

That's because a large minority (probably a majority in some races) of Macon's white population also votes Democratic; in 2000 Gore won the white majority parts of the county and IIRC even Kerry won some white majority precincts there.