Why is Kansas more Democratic than Nebraska?
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  Why is Kansas more Democratic than Nebraska?
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Author Topic: Why is Kansas more Democratic than Nebraska?  (Read 5127 times)

excelsus
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« on: June 09, 2014, 07:10:57 AM »

I have noticed that since 1960 the Democratic candidates have been producing better results in Kansas than in Nebraska (with only one exception).
Why do you think this is?
And what happened in 2008?



2012

[2008

2004

2000

1996

1992

1988

1984

1980

1976

1972

1968

1964

1960
Nebraska

38.03

41.60

32.68

33.25

34.95

29.40

39.20

28.81

26.04

38.46

29.498   

31.81

52.61

37.93
Kansas

38.05

41.55]

36.62

37.24

36.08

33.74

42.56

32.60

33.29

44.94

29.504

34.72

54.09

39.10
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Never
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« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2014, 10:07:03 AM »

Kansas being more Democratic than Nebraska could be attributed to Kansas being slightly more diverse than Nebraska. Kansas is 83% white, while Nebraska is 86% white. For most recent presidential elections, that would explain the disparity between the two states.

Perhaps increased Democratic turnout in urban areas accounts for why Nebraska was more Democratic than Kansas in 2008. NE-02, the one congressional district that President Obama won in the state, included Omaha.
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CountyTy90
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« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2014, 10:45:45 AM »

I also think it has something to do with it's larger cities. Topeka, Kansas City, and Lawrence are all strongly Democratic, while Nebraska's largest cities Lincoln and Omaha are swing to maybe just lean Democratic.

In 2012, the only Democratic county in Nebraska was a Native American reservation; Lancaster County (Lincoln) very, very narrowly went to Romney, same with Douglas County (Omaha).

In Kansas, the only two Democratic counties in the state have relatively high populations for Kansas and both Wyandotte (Kansas City) and Douglas (Lawrence) went strongly +60% to Obama.

So even in Lincoln, which contains Nebraska's main university, went Republican, while Kansas's main university located in Douglas County, went fairly strongly for Obama.

I guess now a better question would be why is University of Kansas more liberal than University of Nebraska?
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excelsus
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« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2014, 02:18:29 PM »

Perhaps increased Democratic turnout in urban areas accounts for why Nebraska was more Democratic than Kansas in 2008. NE-02, the one congressional district that President Obama won in the state, included Omaha.

Does anyone know if Obama canvassed in NE-02?
Who was the last Democrat anyway to campaign in Nebraska (after the primary season)?
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NerdyBohemian
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« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2014, 08:42:51 PM »

We can even see this trend over 150 years ago. Remember, we have the historical event Bleeding Kansas, not Bleeding Nebraska.
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Badger
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« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2014, 10:10:20 AM »

Ikt's a nominal difference and due largely to the larger Democratic lean of KC and Lawrence compared to Omaha and Lincoln or at least the respective counties.
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Mr. Illini
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« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2014, 11:29:56 AM »

I would attribute it to the Kansas City metro. Nebraska really doesn't have a rust belt-esque area like the Kansas City area.
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ElectionsGuy
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« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2014, 12:30:08 PM »

Probably because Lawrence and Kansas City. Also, Sedgewick or Johnson counties are not as republican as Sarpy (but are much more populated). Nebraska also has many very republican mini-cities like Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, Columbus, and North Platte. But lets keep in mind, its not much more democratic than Nebraska, they're the same type of state that vote almost the same way.
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TDAS04
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« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2014, 07:25:35 PM »

The difference between Nebraska and Kansas isn't huge, but it is somewhat puzzling why Nebraska has often been the most Republican Plains state going back through 1960 (at least before Obama collapsed in Oklahoma).  Aside from the Johnson landslide of 1964, Democrats have not come within single digits of carrying Nebraska since Truman lost it by 8 points in 1948.  It was the only Plains state (the strip of states stretching from North Dakota down to Texas) that Ford defeat Carter in by double digits.  Ford won Nebraska by 21 points, while carrying Kansas by 8, North Dakota by 6, and South Dakota by only 1.

Compared to South Dakota counties, Nebraska Counties are notably more heavily GOP.  In 2004, Bush carried well over a dozen Nebraska counties with over 80%.  Madison (home of Norfolk) is one of the more populous counties in the state, and Bush obtained 78% of the vote.  In South Dakota, only 4 counties delivered a majority for Bush greater than 78%.

The biggest contrast to Nebraska among the neighbors is Iowa, obviously.  It has been discussed why Iowa is so much more liberal than the states to the west (less ranching, culture similar to Minnesota and Wisconsin's, etc.)  However, Nebraska arguably should not be as conservative as it is.  Omaha is quite Republican for a city of its size, and Lincoln is pretty conservative for such a major college town.  I'm not quite sure why Lincoln is not more like Lawrence, Kansas.  So, yes, it is a bit strange why Nebraska has voted more Republican than other states in the region.
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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
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« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2014, 08:22:16 PM »

Another factor that may be contributing is Nebraska's unique legislative election system.  The Unicameral is officially nonpartisan, tho in practice it really isn't.  In the more conservative districts, the November election may often be a race between two Republicans, so voters get used to coming to the polls even when it technically doesn't matter, because for them it might for the Unicameral.  Probably a small factor on the order of 0.1 to 0.5%, but I can see where it would have an effect in helping to bring voters to the polls despite Nebraska being safely Republican presidentially.
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TJ in Oregon
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« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2014, 08:54:27 PM »

Also was is the University of Kansas so much more liberal than Kansas State? Lawrence and Manhattan vote quite differently as well.
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Sol
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« Reply #11 on: July 05, 2014, 09:01:31 PM »

Also was is the University of Kansas so much more liberal than Kansas State? Lawrence and Manhattan vote quite differently as well.

There's a military element to the Manhatten area, IIRC.
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solarstorm
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« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2014, 09:38:55 PM »
« Edited: July 05, 2014, 10:04:49 PM by solarstorm2012 »

I think it's like the southeastern part of Kansas belongs to the South.


Let's take a look at the senator and governor list:

Nebraska has had 4 Democratic US senators since 1960.
Kansas has had none.

Nebraska has had 4 Democratic governors since 1960.
Kansas has had 6.

Strange...
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« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2014, 09:56:35 PM »

I think it's like the southeastern part of Kansas belongs to the South.


Let's take a look at the senator and governor list:

Nebraska has had 1 Democratic US senator since 1960, who was reelected twice.
Kansas has had none.

Nebraska has had 4 Democratic governors since 1960.
Kansas has had 6.

Strange...

Nebraska has had 4 Democratic Senators since 1960.
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solarstorm
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« Reply #14 on: July 05, 2014, 10:07:26 PM »

Nebraska has had 4 Democratic Senators since 1960.

Oh, sorry. I overlooked Class 1.
But the Kansas number (0) is accidentally still right.
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Fuzzy Stands With His Friend, Chairman Sanchez
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« Reply #15 on: July 06, 2014, 09:09:51 PM »

I think it's like the southeastern part of Kansas belongs to the South.


Let's take a look at the senator and governor list:

Nebraska has had 1 Democratic US senator since 1960, who was reelected twice.
Kansas has had none.

Nebraska has had 4 Democratic governors since 1960.
Kansas has had 6.

Strange...

Nebraska has had 4 Democratic Senators since 1960.

Nebraska took an odd road to electing Democratic Senators.  In 1976, Omaha Mayor Edward Zorinsky believed that he had first dibs on the GOP Senate nomination to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Roman Hruska.  The Nebraska GOP had other ideas and tapped GOP Congressman John McCollister, who represented the Omaha area as the organization candidate.  Learning of his rejection, Zorinsky switched to the Democrats, won the Democratic nomination, and was elected in 1976 over McCollister, with a number of Omaha Republicans supporting him.

All of Nebraska's Democratic Senators were somewhat more conservative than the average Democratic Senator, but Zorinsky was something of a DINO.  Zorinsky never really identified himself with the national Democratic party.  He had an ADA rating around 25 most years, and was not particularly pro-union or liberal on economics.  In his second term, the GOP courted him and tried to get him to switch back to the GOP.  Zorinsky ultimately turned them down, but not before giving the issue serious thought.

At one time, Nebraska's GOP attempted to get Ben Nelson to switch parties.  Nelson compiled a relatively conservative record (for a Democrat) in office, but he stayed with the Democrats.  Nelson was socially conservative, but given that his acquiescence to Obamacare made it a reality, Nelson is unelectable in Nebraska today. 

Bob Kerrey was once a Republican, although he became a Democrat prior to running for Governor in 1982.  Jim Exon was a lifelong Democrat, although one with a conservative reputation while Governor.
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Chunk Yogurt for President!
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« Reply #16 on: July 09, 2014, 05:35:56 PM »

Also was is the University of Kansas so much more liberal than Kansas State? Lawrence and Manhattan vote quite differently as well.

Well, my parents were really liberal when they went to Kansas State, I don't know.
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