name an area and describe the most prevalent ideology

[freepcrusher]

I'll start
Northern Inland California = Scoop Jackson/HHH dems or Yosemite Sam republicans

[All Along The Watchtower]

South SF Bay Area

Mix of a lot of different things. You have a lot of educated, white-collar/professional liberals (in the American sense ) who are environmentally conscious (sometimes to a rather silly extent ) , pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, etc. and supportive of public schools, health care, and many social programs, but are also often more moderate or open to more conservative ideas on things like public-sector employee unions and fiscal issues in general.  Most of those people are white, many are quite secular in practice (though many are also at least nominally religious), and generally are upper middle class (not just economically, but also in terms of culture and lifestyle).

Then you have a related group (demographically) to the first group, the moderate-on-cultural issues, but still to the right-on-economics Republicans of the Bay Area. Tom Campbell is a good example of this group. They pride themselves on tightfisted fiscal conservatism, support of free trade agreements, and generally, opposition to taxes, regulation, and unions. This group, as alluded to above, is generally white and upper-middle class.

However, white upper-middle class people are by no means the only game in town, as this is the Bay Area. In the South Bay Area, the lower and lower-middle segments of the socioeconomic strata are disproportionately Hispanic (not many black people in this area, oddly enough ) Specifically, they are usually of Mexican ancestry, and they are, for the most part, staunch Democrats-repelled by the Republicans hard-line stance against illegal immigration (which too often, serves as a space for nativist and xenophobic sentiments), but also attracted by the multiculturalism and social justice message of the Democratic Party.

Finally, there are the various Asian groups-Chinese, Korean, Indian, Iranian, Vietnamese, Filipino, and many more. There are a variety of political views expressed here, but most Asian-Americans in the Bay Area are generally "liberal" in the American context, even if they are culturally conservative in general; they don't like the anti-intellectualism and hostility towards foreigners that is often present in the Republican Party, especially in California (where the Republican Party has been losing a demographic battle for some time now). If the GOP is going to make any inroads in California, they better find a way to appeal to non-white populations.

[freepcrusher]

South SF Bay Area

Mix of a lot of different things. You have a lot of educated, white-collar/professional liberals (in the American sense ) who are environmentally conscious (sometimes to a rather silly extent ) , pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, etc. and supportive of public schools, health care, and many social programs, but are also often more moderate or open to more conservative ideas on things like public-sector employee unions and fiscal issues in general.  Most of those people are white, many are quite secular in practice (though many are also at least nominally religious), and generally are upper middle class (not just economically, but also in terms of culture and lifestyle).

Then you have a related group (demographically) to the first group, the moderate-on-cultural issues, but still to the right-on-economics Republicans of the Bay Area. Tom Campbell is a good example of this group. They pride themselves on tightfisted fiscal conservatism, support of free trade agreements, and generally, opposition to taxes, regulation, and unions. This group, as alluded to above, is generally white and upper-middle class.

However, white upper-middle class people are by no means the only game in town, as this is the Bay Area. In the South Bay Area, the lower and lower-middle segments of the socioeconomic strata are disproportionately Hispanic (not many black people in this area, oddly enough ) Specifically, they are usually of Mexican ancestry, and they are, for the most part, staunch Democrats-repelled by the Republicans hard-line stance against illegal immigration (which too often, serves as a space for nativist and xenophobic sentiments), but also attracted by the multiculturalism and social justice message of the Democratic Party.

Finally, there are the various Asian groups-Chinese, Korean, Indian, Iranian, Vietnamese, Filipino, and many more. There are a variety of political views expressed here, but most Asian-Americans in the Bay Area are generally "liberal" in the American context, even if they are culturally conservative in general; they don't like the anti-intellectualism and hostility towards foreigners that is often present in the Republican Party, especially in California (where the Republican Party has been losing a demographic battle for some time now). If the GOP is going to make any inroads in California, they better find a way to appeal to non-white populations.

is Gilroy considered part of the South Bay Area or is it more similar to the farming communities near the coast (like Salinas or Hollister)

[Sbane]

I associate Gilroy with the farming communities while I associate Morgan Hill with San Jose. BTW, PR wrote up an excellent explanation of political views of the South Bay.

[old timey villain]

Metro Atlanta:

Also a mixed bad. The 28 county metro area was barely won by Obama last year, the closest major metro in the nation. You have a ton of different types of people and ideologies.

Team Republican

1) Probably the largest group of GOP supporters are the white people who live in the outer suburbs, usually more than 30 minutes from Atlanta. Many used to live closer to the city but moved out due to an increased cost of living or white flight. They tend to be middle income, highly religious, culturally southern and socially conservative. They're not the typical southern yokels standing on their front porch with a shotgun. They are college educated, have a little bit of money to spend and are convinced that the Dems want to tax them into the lower classes. Church is a big part of their lives, and they often belong to the newer evangelical mega churches. They like their safe suburban bubble and are afraid of more liberal, secular elements closer to Atlanta. Most likely group to love Allen West.

2) Buckhead Republicans. These people live in wealthier enclaves in Buckhead or areas close to the city like Sandy Springs. They are fiscal conservatives more than anything else. They're not as religious and could care less about issues like abortion and gay marriage. They're worldly and sophisticated, but have a lot of money and vote GOP primarily for that reason alone.

3) Classic southerners. They fit the stereotype of the blue collar redneck very well. They live on the fringes of the metro area, at least 45 minutes from the city. Most aren't college educated and are employed in blue collar work. Most are Baptist and their church community factors heavily into their lives. Most are gun owners and pick up trick drivers. They get whipped up by the cultural issues like abortion and gay marriage, but primarily abortion. Racist appeals work best on them, sadly.

Team Democrat

1) Working class African Americans make up the biggest supporters of the Democratic party. These people live on the southside of Atlanta and areas in the vicinity, like Clayton County and South Dekalb. They are very loyal Democrats but also tend to be very religious and socially conservative. The church is their anchor and they're likely to be as opposed to abortion and gay marriage as the white conservatives. Very economically disadvantaged so they tend to be most swayed by appeals to populism and economic equality. Congressman David Scott fits this demographic well.

2) Upper income African Americans. Also loyal Democrats but most are college educated, have higher incomes and are more progressive on social issues. They are a fast growing group of people in the region and are pretty spread out across the metro area. And no, they're not like the Real Housewives. They love Obama, not in spite of his position on gay marriage, but often because of it.

3) Intown progressives. They are the most representative of the new liberal coalition. They live in gentrifying Atlanta neighborhoods and other areas inside 285. They are highly educated and work in the creative class. Probably the least religious of all groups, they care a lot about environmentalism and strongly support greater transit and green space in the city. They absolutely can't stand the Republican dominance in the state and often vocally support very progressive candidates in protest. As they form a greater critical mass in intown Atlanta, their political influence will grow but today they are very much in the minority.

4) New Immigrants. Hispanics, Asians, Africans, Caribbeans etc. Previously they were not very politically active but that is changing as their presence grows. The Immigration Law really galvanized Hispanics against the state GOP so we should be feeling the effects of that in the next few cycles. Like most immigrant groups across America, they are quickly trending towards the Democrats, but they are still a very new group of residents and their political participation lags. Most likely to be found in Gwinnett, Dekalb and Cobb counties.

Independents

Honestly, there's not many. People most likely to be purely moderate and independent tend to be recent transplants from the NE or Midwest, less religious suburbanites, Jews (who aren't nearly as Democratic around here) and young people in the inner suburbs.

[memphis]

Above description of Atlanta fits Memphis pretty well too. Both of us are right on the line between Deep South and Upper South. Key difference is that we are on a much smaller scale and have fewer recent transplants. Huge numbers of people are the grandkids of rural people who got displaced when the cotton picking machine was invented in the 1940s.

[freepcrusher]

Jews (who aren't nearly as Democratic around here)

I would assume the opposite. In the south, someone like Olympia Snowe would be considered a democrat. And because jews would have to put up with evangelical christians, I would think they would vote closer to 90% dem.

[memphis]

Jews (who aren't nearly as Democratic around here)

I would assume the opposite. In the south, someone like Olympia Snowe would be considered a democrat. And because jews would have to put up with evangelical christians, I would think they would vote closer to 90% dem.

I don't know a lot about Jews in Atlanta, but here in Memphis, we have a (by percent of total Jews) substantial Orthodox population that skews the total.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Hirsch_Synagogue
Reform and Conservative Jews here are strongly Democratic, though obviously not as much as black people. You get a few oddball Ron Paul style anarchists mixed in too.

[Indy Texas]

Houston-Baytown-Sugarland MSA

Brazoria County - home of Ron Paul; conservative suburbanites in the traditional Republican mold; this is basically the Greater Houston equivalent of Orange County

Fort Bend County -
(1) Sugar Land - wealthy suburb full of Mitt Romney-style Republicans; this area was represented by Tom DeLay for a number of years in Congress; most of the Democratic support here comes from affluent South Asian and East Asian professionals (these are Obama/New Democrat Coalition Democrats, not Hillary/Blue Dog Democrats)
(2) Missouri City - middle-class African-Americans; strongly Democratic, but probably not as liberal as the poorer African-Americans in Houston

Austin County - rural, old-school Republicans of German Lutheran ancestry; this is one of the counties that has usually voted Republican throughout Texas statehood; not a lot of evangelical emphasis on social issues; also not a lot of Tea Party fundamentalism; the residents here actually got quite mad at their congressman Michael McCaul a couple of years ago because a major defense contractor that had a plant there decided to relocate elsewhere and they felt McCaul hadn't used his clout effectively enough to get them to stay

Waller County - rural county with very large black population augmented by the presence of Prairie View A&M University (a HBCU); the whites here tend to be middle- and working-class former conservative Democrats who are very religious

Montgomery County - virtually all-white county that George Wallace carried in 1968 and no Democrat has ever won since then; has three main types of voters
(1) The Woodlands - white-flight exurb but not as wealthy as Sugar Land; very strong evangelical Christian presence (every so often some parents will get mad and demand the local high school get rid of some library books they find offensive); Anadarko Petroleum and several smaller oil & gas firms have offices there and many of their employees live there too as a result; most of the management/engineering types are Romney Republicans
(2) rural areas - conservative, blue collar whites who are either Santorum-style theocrats or Gingrich-style racial resentment stirrers
(3) Conroe - the few African-Americans in the county live here

San Jacinto and Liberty Counties - large black populations; rural, poor whites; up until recently, Democrats did quite well here in local/state races and I think Clinton carried one or both of these counties at least once; the city of Cleveland, in Liberty County, is where the infamous rape trial happened a couple of years ago (a number of black teenage boys were accused of raping a Hispanic middle schooler, stoking tensions between the black and Hispanic communities)
I would describe the white voters here as disaffected types who often don't vote; they're too poor to be Establishment Republicans and they don't seem to have as much racial tension as some other rural areas

Chambers County - rural, blue collar whites who work at the chemical plants in eastern Harris County; the epitome of downmarket, populist conservatism

Galveston County - has a history of strong organized labor presence and Democratic leanings; the city of Galveston has been in a slow, managed decline since an early 20th century hurricane and the construction of the Houston Ship Channel hurt their status as a major port city; the longshoreman jobs are gone, and as the county has lost population, other businesses have gone under; a lot of blue collar whites who lean Republican; also a lot of working class Hispanics who generally don't vote and provide the cheap labor for the hotels and restaurants catering to tourists from Houston

Harris County
(1) Exurban Fundie Republicans - these live in northern and northwestern Harris County; very large Tea Party presence in these parts
(2) West Houston Republicans - River Oaks, Memorial, Bellaire and the Villages are the wealthiest part of Houston and full of pro-business Republicans who generally care little for social issues; George H. W. Bush represented this area in Congress in the 1960s; it sends socially moderate Republicans and the occasional DLC-style Democrat to the state legislature
(3) East and South Houston Hispanic Democrats - blue-collar Hillary Clinton Democrats who are generally economically populist and very pro-life
(4) Inner City Black Democrats - OBAMA!!!!; they keep sending Sheila Jackson Lee back to Congress, which makes me question their judgment; to be fair, however, Houston's black political establishment is nowhere near as corrupt and ineffective as their counterparts in Dallas, whose political careers are never complete without at least one grand jury indictment

[old timey villain]

Jews (who aren't nearly as Democratic around here)

I would assume the opposite. In the south, someone like Olympia Snowe would be considered a democrat. And because jews would have to put up with evangelical christians, I would think they would vote closer to 90% dem.

Yeah, but that's not really the case. Atlanta Jews are different from Jews in the Northeast. The political and social union that has always existed between Jews and the Democratic party up north doesn't really exist in the south. I can't really give you a great reason for this, perhaps it's because most Jewish people around here are wealthier transplants who aren't as religious.

There also seems to be a great deal of pressure for Jewish people in Atlanta to "fit in", so I think, historically, a lot of Jews in Atlanta have adopted more conservative values in order to assimilate. The "othering" of Jewish people down south isn't nearly as prevalent today, as the entire region is much more diverse, but you have to remember than less than 100 years ago, a Jewish business owner from Atlanta, Leo Frank, was wrongfully convicted and hanged for a crime he did not commit. He was an easy scapegoat because he was a Jew, and I don't think southern Jews ever forgot about that. In 1958 the Atlanta temple was bombed as well. Atlanta has had prominent Jewish leaders for years, and we had a Jewish mayor in the 70s, but they were all very southern and assimilated well into the largely protestant community. So basically they all tried very hard to avoid the stereotype of the loud, yankee, communist Jewish guy.

So today, you have a lot of Jews in Atlanta who are very liberal and many who are very conservative, as well as some moderates. But their political affiliations don't seem to be tied into their religion like they may be in other places in America.

[old timey villain]

I just found out that Georgia was the first state to have a Jewish governor, back in 1801...how about that?!

[Siloch]

Scotland - Socialist.

Well that was easy.

[Asherzeleg]

Milwaukee-
      North Side- largely African-American, nearly 100% D
      South Side- White and Hispanic, mostly D with some conservative pockets.
      East Side- White hipsters and professors- liberal
North Shore Suburbs- Jewish, latte-liberal, extremely wealthy areas tilt R
South Shore Suburbs- White, working class, populist, tossup
Waukesha County- Wealthy, white, racist, votes more like Southern suburbs than normal Midwestern ones
Washington County- Most conservative county in Wisconsin, tea party heaven
Ozaukee County- Wealthiest county in Wisconsin, very conservative, but more socially liberal than   Waukesha and Washington counties.

[Del Tachi]

While not an “urban” area by any standards, I think that my hometown of Starkville, Mississippi has some very interesting political demographics.

Starkville is a small town located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.  As of 2010, Starkville had a population of 23,888.  Oktibbeha County had a population of 47,671.  The most predominant feature of Starkville is the presence of Mississippi State University—the largest university in the state of Mississippi and the SEC’s premier agricultural university.  MSU is home to 20,500 students; however, Mississippi State University students living on campus are not included in Starkville’s population totals.  Additionally, the fact that a large of portion of Mississippi State University is located in an unincorporated area rather than the city of Starkville further distorts the true nature of Starkville’s population.  During the academic year, the city of Starkville’s daytime population (including students on campus) is close to 45,000.

Starkville and Oktibbeha County constitute one the most politically diverse areas in the state of Mississippi.  In 2008, Oktibbeha County was the second closest county in the United States—Barack Obama won the county by only 6 votes.  Barack Obama improved his margin in Starkville and Oktibbeha County in 2012, but other than these two elections (2008 and 2012) Republicans had won Oktibbeha County in every presidential election since 1960. 
Interesting to note is that Oktibbeha County is significantly more Democratic than the city of Starkville because of its higher African American population.  Also note that, even though college students represent close to 40 percent of the county’s population, only college students with permanent addresses within the county may register to vote, students living on campus do not meet residency requirements to register to vote under Mississippi law. 

REPUBLICAN COALITION

1) Traditional university families.  The most significant component of the Oktibbeha County/Starkville Republican coalition consists of white, upper-middle class voters who are affiliated with the University through employment.  Most of these voters are in their 30s, 40s, or 50s and have children under the age of 18 living at home.  At least one parent (but often both) works at the University, most commonly in the fields of agriculture, education, engineering, or University administration.  These families most commonly send their children to public schools in the city, or to private schools if living outside of the city limits.  These families tend to be moderately religious, mostly Protestant Evangelicals (Baptist, Methodist, or Church of Christ being the most common).  While often having Southern roots, most voters in this category are first-generation Starkvillians who were drawn into the city by the University. 

2) Country club/pro-business community.  This category consists of Starkville and Oktibbeha County’s business establishment, mainly landlords and successful small business owners whose families have resided in Oktibbeha County for several generations.  They tend to be wealthier than the traditional university families and are more-apt to send their children to Starkville’s only private school:  Starkville Academy, a segregation academy established in 1970.  These voters, while probably participating in religious services at the same rate as traditional university families, are much more likely to be mainline Protestants, mainly Episcopalians and Presbyterians.  These voters tend to be “townies”, meaning that one of their primary goals is to develop Starkville’s identity separate to that of Mississippi State University.  This is ironic seeing that, without MSU, most of these voters’ would have a standard of living equal to that of our next Republican-voting category…

3) Poor, rural whites.  These voters are lower-income white voters who tend to live on the city’s outskirts or in the county.  These are your stereotypical redneck Southerners.  They are probably the least religious of all Oktibbeha County Republican voters, unexpectedly, as participation in organized religion in this region of the South has a positive correlation with wealth.  They are the most socially conservative Republican coalition component, despite having a populist flair because of their low socioeconomic status.  Due to the lack of any substantial manufacturing industries in Oktibbeha County, this class of citizens is almost entirely supported by service-oriented positions supported by the presence of the University.
   
4) University establishment.  This category, while very small in terms of numbers, is able to a large amount of influence over local and state politics due to their high level of connectivity and high incomes.  Even though university faculty tend to be almost evenly-split ideologically (a point that will be addressed later), top levels of university administration (University President and Provost, Board of Trustees, Deans, VPs, and most department heads) are overwhelmingly Republican.  Most people in this category are not Starkville natives, but rather came from a variety of academic backgrounds from across the Southeast.  This group, to a certain extent, is the foil to the country club/pro-business group:  these individuals’ connection to the University has almost completely removed them from civic life outside of it, and the promotion of the University, rather than the city of Starkville, is their top political goal.  Other demographic considerations almost mirror the pro-business community of Starkville. 
 
DEMOCRATIC COALITION

1) Working class African Americans.  The largest component of the county’s Democratic machine, African Americans constitute close to 38 percent of the county’s total population.  Most African Americans live outside of the city limits, thus resulting in the rural county actually be poorer and more Democratic than the city.  They tend to be very religious, with Baptist and AME representing the largest denominations.  The large number of service jobs due to the presence of the University economically sustains this group. 

2) Old school Democrats.  Prior to the rise of the Republican Party in the South during the 1970s-90s, this group probably belonged to the same city establishment that the country club/pro-business Republicans once belonged.  However, unlike the country clubbers, these voters have retained their Democratic identification.  This group is almost a mystery to me because it is demographically similar to our country club Republicans, it has just for some reason chosen to remain Democratic.  Also note that these are not your traditional “Blue Dogs” (very few of those exist in Starkville) but rather just a generally more liberal segment of the wealthier, older political establishment.  Of course, it is a very small segment and may be shrinking.  Interesting to note is that somehow they have managed to come into possession of the city’s best real estate, and most quality craftsman or antebellum homes are occupied by these voters.   

3) Transplant university families.  This category consists of families with one or more parents working at the University, but they tend to have recently relocated form Starkville form outside of the South.  This segment constitutes almost the entirety of Starkville’s Asian/foreign-born population.  They tend to be affiliated with natural sciences, social sciences, or liberal arts on campus, are very secular, and socially liberal.  If they are religious, they are nominally Catholic or mainline Protestant.  They send their children to public schools almost exclusively; the private schools are “too conservative”.   
   
4) Young Professionals Community.  This component consists mainly of young couples, often recent university graduates or graduate students, who came to Starkville during their undergraduate years and became “enlightened” with all that progressivism has to offer.  These are your wealthy, White Obama voters.  They are a rapidly growing segment of the society.  Many of them leave Starkville before really settling down to start careers, but I hypothesize that those who do stick around come to identify more with the “Old School Democrats” rather than the “University Transplants”.     

SWING VOTERS

1) College students.  Despite the fact that, nationwide, college students are one of the most pro-Obama voting groups, the situation at Mississippi State is remarkably different.  Over 80 percent of MSU students are native Mississippians, and the school’s emphasis on agriculture tends to draw students from the more rural parts of the state.  College students at MSU are also significantly religious, 7 of the 10 largest student organizations on campus are religious in nature (Baptist Student Union, Wesleyan Council, University Christian Student Center, etc.)  Of course, there are a significant number of students who fit the more traditional “hipster” college student model, and the 20 percent of university undergraduates who are non-White are also heavily Democratic.  These “balanced” demographics make college students very swingy, but not very elastic. 

[Indy Texas]

I find it highly unusual that employees of a public university would strongly identify as Republican. It sounds like a serious case of false consciousness.

[Sol]

I find it highly unusual that employees of a public university would strongly identify as Republican. It sounds like a serious case of false consciousness.

It's Mississippi.

[Del Tachi]

I find it highly unusual that employees of a public university would strongly identify as Republican. It sounds like a serious case of false consciousness.

Actually, university faculty are pretty evenly split ideologically.  The number of university transplants roughly equals that of the traditional university families. 

[TeePee4Prez]

Philadelphia Metro Area.  I'll do Philly for now only, then PA suburbs:

Philadelphia County:  We all know, 85-15 Obama, but I'd have to cut it down to bite sized pieces

South Philadelphia (Southwest Philadelphia to a point as well)- Mix of old school ethnic whites and young professionals.  Ethnic whites are a tossup.  Economically populist, pro union, but VERY socially conservative in some cases and outright racist.  Ethnic whites are generally very traditional in their ways.  Some division results could mirror midstate Pennsylvania in GOP voting.  Some areas have African Americans and South Asian immigrants.  Those areas are obviously liberal.  The young professionals are generally socially liberal and economically moderate to liberal.  Not as passionate about unions as ethnic whites.

Center City Philadelphia- Very socially liberal, economically liberal to moderate with some libertarians.  More Dem than city as whole.

Northwest Philadelphia (Roxbourough/Manayunk/Chestnut Hill)- Liberal, but not as much as Center City.  Chestnut Hill is very wealthy, but liberal.  Mount Airy is mixed race, well off and pretty liberal.  Manayunk has a lot of young professionals/college students and generally socially liberal, economically moderate to liberal.  There is a mix of populist old school ethnic whites here, especially in Roxbourough, but not as prevalent as Northeast or South Philly.  Less Democratic than city as whole, but more than NE/South Philly and a lot more than nationally.

North Philadelphia- Overwhelmingly African American and Hispanic.  Very disadvantaged and Democratic.  However, both African Americans and Hispanics are religious.  Most Democratic part of the city.  Definitely brings Dem margins up in state of PA and more Dem than city as whole.

Northeast Philadelphia-  I'd have to divide it in 3 parts.  The lower Northeast (except the "river Wards") is generally an area with older ethnic whites with minorities moving in fast.  Most whites in this area are very old with fixed incomes unable to move, but want to.  Most newcomers are Hispanic, but Asians and Middle Easterners are also coming in.  Strongly leans Democratic.  The "River Wards" are similar to Manayunk in that there's a lot of ethnic whites but some young professionals are moving in especially in Fishtown.  Leans Democratic, but not overwhelmingly so.  The "Far Northeast" generally has ethnic Catholic and Jewish whites and not as old as the lower Northeast.  Generally working to middle class with some wealthy pockets.  Leans Democratic, generally economically populist and socially moderate as a whole, but some areas can be quite conservative and religious though not as much as South Philly.  Jews are generally Reform, but there are pockets of Orthodox conservatives.  Overall, less Democratic than city as whole, but moreso than the national average.     

[King of Kensington]

I would assume the opposite. In the south, someone like Olympia Snowe would be considered a democrat. And because jews would have to put up with evangelical christians, I would think they would vote closer to 90% dem.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure New York Jews are to the *right* of US Jews generally, despite the stereotype of the Upper West Side-living, New York Times-reading liberal New York Jew.  

In a place like Atlanta they'd be overwhelmingly non-Orthodox transplants and very few with long roots in the South.

[King of Kensington]

Western Pennsylvania = Casey Democrats

[TDAS04]

Northwest Iowa:  Steve King Republicans.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Is it bad thing that there is no low-scale area anywhere in the world I could describe so extensively?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Here's how I see the regions of the Twin Cities metro. Write-up of each region coming up later:

[King of Kensington]

Westchester County:  Clinton/Obama Democrats (modern, progressive, enlightened business types, less linked to "old labor"/New Deal).  Modern-day Rockefeller Republicans, essentially.   In the Canadian and British contexts, Liberal (Democrats). 

[HoosierPoliticalJunkie]

Lake County, Indiana
This county really is quite a mix, with urban, industrial areas, Chicago suburbs, and rural small towns. 

http://www.lakecountyin.org/cms-host/planning-commission/maps/School%20Districts.pdf
http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/group/voters/page/general2012

Here's a good reference for the areas.

Descriptions:
Whiting-North end of county, filled with white, blue-collar Democrats, about 70% Democrat.  This is just a small, blue-collar town with a huge refinery.
East Chicago-filled with hard-line Hispanic Democrats.  The precincts are about 90-95% Democrat on average, with none below 75%.
Hammond-60% white town, quite Democratic, with only 2 precincts with below 60% Obama out of about 90, with some precincts giving Obama 100%.  This is probably where you'll find, along with Whiting, where white, blue collar union workers still vote Democrat. 
Gary-This encompasses a huge portion of the Northern part of the county, including the Lake Ridge and River Forest school districts.  Extremely, extremely Democrat, as the town is 87% black. 100% Obama precincts are common and most gave him 95%+. However, there is one oddball precinct that only gave Obama 50% of the vote, G5-04. 
Lake Station-pretty Democratic town on West end of county, about 60-70% overall.  This area's 80% white and is a bastion of blue-collar Democrats.
Hobart-has prominent shopping mall and entertainment there.  Every precinct but 1 voted Democratic but not by that much:  the town's about 58% Democrat or so overall.  The town's 85% white and though somewhat blue collar, only has a 5% poverty rate, compared to about triple that for Lake Station, nearly quadruple for Hammond, and even more for Gary/East Chicago. 
Munster-This is where I live, one of the county's Republican strongholds.  It's also one of the least corrupt parts of the county.  
There's a very strong North-South divide.  The area south of the railroad tracks is newer development and wealthier, was 60% Romney.  The Northern area is more politically even, though it varies precinct to precinct, with some 43% Obama and some 60% Obama precincts.  There are far more "Proud Union Home" yard signs in the North end of town than the South.
Highland:  Around 53-47 Obama, a little more Republican than Hobart.  This is a nice Chicago suburban town, though not as wealthy as Munster.     
Dyer/St. John/Schererville-These areas are all represented by the Lake Central School District.  St. John is even more conservative than Munster, though smaller.  It's about 60% Romney overall and is probably the most socially conservative town in the county outside of Lowell.  It's about 93% White whereas Munster/Schererville are 85% White, giving it a bit more of a GOP tilt.
Dyer-about 53-47ish Romney. 90% white and pretty Republican, but not particularly large of a town.
Schererville-Around 50/50 with a slight tilt toward Romney......very  mixed, slightly more diverse than Dyer/St. John. 
Griffith-Around 60% Obama.  75% white and only a 3% poverty rate, extremely low for such a blue-collar town.  Solidly middle-class, pro-union, and Democratic.  This town is probably the liberal dream of what America should look like. 
Merrillville-About 70% Democrat, about 50/50 white/black.  Filled with shopping centers and has the Purdue technology center.  Also a center of white flight from Gary, but now there's white flight from Merrillville to Munster/St. John/Dyer.
Crown Point-Around 43-45% Obama.....this is where the County courthouse is, pretty conservative.

More coming........