Ethnic whites and historical voting patterns

[All Along The Watchtower]

I've always assumed that ethnic whites from Southern and Eastern Europe were heavily Democratic historically. Yet there were obviously large numbers who were Republican, like many Italians for example. Also, I read that Cicero, Illinois was an ethnic white Republican stronghold-not sure if that's true or not.

Were ethnic whites often Republican locally, but Democratic in national elections? Did region or machine politics play a big role?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Depends on the period you're talking about. Though up until the Depression, what mattered (presuming that the topic is about urban 'ethnic' whites; the distinction is important) was the affiliation of the machine.

[memphis]

Really depends who and where and when you're talking about. Ethnic whites could be anything from Scandinavian farmers in the Upper Midwest to Germans in Texas to Jews on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

[Beet]

Depends on the period you're talking about. Though up until the Depression, what mattered (presuming that the topic is about urban 'ethnic' whites; the distinction is important) was the affiliation of the machine.

Someone once described the difference between a party and a machine: a machine exists solely for its own sake, while a party exists for a reason beyond itself.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

by 'ethnic' do you mean having something other than English as a first language?

[muon2]

I've always assumed that ethnic whites from Southern and Eastern Europe were heavily Democratic historically. Yet there were obviously large numbers who were Republican, like many Italians for example. Also, I read that Cicero, Illinois was an ethnic white Republican stronghold-not sure if that's true or not.

Were ethnic whites often Republican locally, but Democratic in national elections? Did region or machine politics play a big role?

Cicero was known to support Rs at all levels, and it had its own machine. As recently as 1992, a plurality voted for Bush I over Clinton and Perot. Cicero is the blue rectangle tucked along the west side of Chicago.