Whitest Obama Counties

[Sol]

I've always wondered what makes some rural Midwestern whites very amenable to Dems, while others are almost as conservative as they are in Mississippi and Alabama.

A lot of immigrant settlement patterns, mostly. D-voting areas in the midwest were usually 'settled' by Scandinavians, while most of the rest was 'settled' by Germans.

[Sol]

Living in Georgia, I can't imagine a place where white people are divided politically or where most vote Democrat. The only places comparable in Georgia would be Athens and some urban yuppie areas of Atlanta.

In these places listed above, how does the white vote split? Is it based on religion or income or ethnicity?

Just for you, Mr. Georgian. Six majority non-Hispanic white counties voted for Obama in 2012:
1. Quitman County (D+9.05) [50.34% Non-Hispanic White]
Population 2,513
County Seat: Georgetown

2. Chatham County (D+11.98) [50.35% Non-Hispanic White]
Population: 265,128
County Seat: Savannah

3. Newton County (D+2.00) [52.02% Non-Hispanic White]
Population: 99,958
County Seat: Covington

4. Baldwin County (D+5.50) [54.03% Non-Hispanic White]
Population: 46,337
County Seat: Milledgeville

5. Twiggs County (D+8.63) [56.07% Non-Hispanic White]
Population: 9,023
County Seat: Jeffersonville

6. Clarke County (D+28.67) [57.13% Non-Hispanic White]
Population: 116,714
County Seat: Athens

Most of those still have an overwhelming majority of whites voting for the GOP- the 10-20% of whites are what turn the tide. The only county of those I could see Obama winning the white vote in is Clarke, and he didn't in 2008.