25 Years From Now. . .

[12th Doctor]

I love how everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that the issues and thus, political alignments are going to change.  Also, if any one party is getting killed badly in the elections, they will eventually change their possitions until they are once again electable.  The only issue is "where in that cycle will we be at this time"?

That is why I see to major rise in third parties.  If either of the two major parties lose a significant amount of their base to one of the third parties, one of the two will find a way to take those votes away from the third party.

Anyway, these maps show a lack of imagination, above all, (except The Factor's map).  Not really even imagination as they do the lack of ability to anticipate how conditions will change.

[12th Doctor]

I love how everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that the issues and thus, political alignments are going to change.  Also, if any one party is getting killed badly in the elections, they will eventually change their possitions until they are once again electable.  The only issue is "where in that cycle will we be at this time"?

That is why I see to major rise in third parties.  If either of the two major parties lose a significant amount of their base to one of the third parties, one of the two will find a way to take those votes away from the third party.

Anyway, these maps show a lack of imagination, above all, (except The Factor's map).  Not really even imagination as they do the lack of ability to anticipate how conditions will change.

Well, obviously. None of us is a soothsayer, after all.
But yeah, those who posted maps seem to be th ones imagining very little change. Perhaps because, the more change you envisage, the less feasible making a map appears.

I want to thank you for the info you provided, BTW.  You are quoted in my paper.

[12th Doctor]

This is a general trend map.  On the whole, I think that the states in blue are treanding more conservative (when you balance economic and social issues) and the red states more liberal.  The grey states will remain about as is.

The three major trends that I see causing the conditions my map perscribes are:

1) The conservative party (presumably the Republicans, but not nessesarily) will break into the inner-cities and start picking up a better percentage of the vote, as more older cities begin to renew themselves.

2) The liberal party will gradually start to do better in areas that have large suburban populations and as the inner-ring suburbs of the old cities become the new depository for all of the problems that haunt the inner-cities now.

3) General population patterns.

[12th Doctor]

If states voted on economic issues 25 years from now, PA would be solidly for the right wing economic party. The Philly Burbs already make up 25% of the state. By that time, they could make up nearly 50% of the state.  Here's a map of the growing suburbs.

Green is dying cities
Yellow is growing suburbs
Orange is stagnant rural areas

I would say that that map is pretty accurate.  Though, I would take Centre County out of the "stagnant" rural category, because State College is growing pretty rapidly and there is an expected merger with the surrounding townships soon.

And Pittsburgh is starting to turn around.  They just need to get back on their feet financially.  The city itself is doing pretty well, even if city government is in miserable shape.