Falling GOP vote in the Midwest

[DS0816]

Midwest states Romney won
Indiana
Missouri
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska
Kansas

States  Obama won
Ohio
Michigan
Wisconsin
Illinois
Minnesota
Iowa

Indiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas have carried the same in all presidential elections since 1920 with the exception of Indiana having become a Democratic pickup for Barack Obama in 2008. They are a case example of why the Democrats ought to realize that they're capable of carrying more than around 30 states and enjoy a good landslide. After all, the former domain of a prevailing electoral map for the Democrats used to include Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. And Barack Obama cumulatively did a lot better in the Indiana group than the Arkansas one.

As for Missouri: I would look to it possibly being a companion state to Indiana. Out of the bellwether category, yes, but not permanently unwinnable. The Democrats won over Indiana, in 2008, with less than 60 percent carriage of available states. By comparison to Woodrow Wilson (1912), Franklin Roosevelt (1932, 1936), and Lyndon Johnson (1964), those winning Democrats carried Indiana as part of electoral maps where 80 percent-plus of available states ended up in their columns. So something remarkable happened in 2008. And in both 2008 and 2012, Missouri and Indiana had margin less than 1.50 percent in their spreads.

[DS0816]

I don't think the GOP is falling in the Midwest, the party needs to pick states where we are competitive and only spend money in those Midwestern states. Let Michigan swing by itself, and put money into counties in Indiana that border Wisconsin. Republicans ought make residency in Southwest Ohio and the most Republican parts of Minnesota.

Which counties do you have in mind?

[DS0816]

pbrower2a,

You should bold 1992 an 1996 Bill Clinton, who garnered more than 350 electoral votes as he won his first with 370 and his second presidential election with 379. (I know you know this.)