Why is Staten Island more Republican thn Nassau County

[Cubby]

why is staten island more republican than nassau County

more importantly, why is staten island part of New York, instead of New Jersey?

Seriously, it's like several light years from anywhere else in new york, but a stone's throw from New Jersey.  The guy that thought that up just couldn't read a map, I suppose.  It's like that little piece of virginia hanging on to the tip of Maryland under salsbury.  That's just weird, isn't it?

I've read before that Staten Island has threatened in the past to secede from NYC and join New Jersey. It is by far the most suburban of the 5 boroughs, so it would have a lot in common with Joisy.

[True Democrat]

why is staten island more republican than nassau County

more importantly, why is staten island part of New York, instead of New Jersey?

Seriously, it's like several light years from anywhere else in new york, but a stone's throw from New Jersey.  The guy that thought that up just couldn't read a map, I suppose.  It's like that little piece of virginia hanging on to the tip of Maryland under salsbury.  That's just weird, isn't it?

I've read before that Staten Island has threatened in the past to secede from NYC and join New Jersey. It is by far the most suburban of the 5 boroughs, so it would have a lot in common with Joisy.

Yeah, they have threatened several times, but nothing has ever happened.  Staten Island is extremely suburban.  It's like Westchester, New Jersey (the nice part), and Long Island times 10.  I'm exaggerating a little, but it is fairly suburban.  I don't believe they wanted to become part of New Jersey, but to instead just become a seperate city (which Brooklyn has also tried to do.  Hey, Brooklyn would have two and a half million people if they became their own city!).

[socaldem]

It has to do with the Italians as well.  The Italians arrived in New York at the turn of the 20th century to see the Democratic Party aligned with the interests of the Irish.  So they became Republicans.  This tradition has held over the last 100 years, and it is why areas with plentiful numbers of Italian-Americans like Nassau and Richmond Counties are reliably Republican.

Virginian is on the right track.  Italians are a strong tradition in the Republican party going back to LaGuardia and continuing through to Molinari and Giuliani.  There are also a lot more Jews (@17%) in Nassau County than there are in Staten Island maybe 9% and they vote Dem overwhelmingly.  Nassau also has a lot more of the Yuppie environmentalist soccer mom thing  at work.  Staten Island is more blue collar and from my own first hand experience this group is becoming more likely than their white collar counterparts to vote Republican (at least the last two elections).  Perhaps good old Rupert has something to do with that. 

I think you're right-on with your analysis of the % Jewish and the yuppie factor in Nassau that's lacking in Stanten Island.  I also think that its important to note that party ID is not necessairly absolute but relative.... since Staten Island's politics are rooted in NYC politics, whose Democratic party is collobrated way to the left, it will tend to align itself in opposition to the liberal interests of NYC as represented by Manhattanites, etc... thus the Republican machine is nurtured by the fact that the rest of the city is so far left... if Staten Island were independent from NYC, the island would likely develop its own populist Democratic machine... I sense the same dynamic may exist somewhat in NE Philly...

[TeePee4Prez]

It has to do with the Italians as well.  The Italians arrived in New York at the turn of the 20th century to see the Democratic Party aligned with the interests of the Irish.  So they became Republicans.  This tradition has held over the last 100 years, and it is why areas with plentiful numbers of Italian-Americans like Nassau and Richmond Counties are reliably Republican.

Virginian is on the right track.  Italians are a strong tradition in the Republican party going back to LaGuardia and continuing through to Molinari and Giuliani.  There are also a lot more Jews (@17%) in Nassau County than there are in Staten Island maybe 9% and they vote Dem overwhelmingly.  Nassau also has a lot more of the Yuppie environmentalist soccer mom thing  at work.  Staten Island is more blue collar and from my own first hand experience this group is becoming more likely than their white collar counterparts to vote Republican (at least the last two elections).  Perhaps good old Rupert has something to do with that. 

I think you're right-on with your analysis of the % Jewish and the yuppie factor in Nassau that's lacking in Stanten Island.  I also think that its important to note that party ID is not necessairly absolute but relative.... since Staten Island's politics are rooted in NYC politics, whose Democratic party is collobrated way to the left, it will tend to align itself in opposition to the liberal interests of NYC as represented by Manhattanites, etc... thus the Republican machine is nurtured by the fact that the rest of the city is so far left... if Staten Island were independent from NYC, the island would likely develop its own populist Democratic machine... I sense the same dynamic may exist somewhat in NE Philly...

I think NE Philly is a bit more liberal than Staten Island.  We voted Gore and Kerry by about +30 and Allyson Schwartz, whom Phil insists is Barbara Boxer, won handily.  There may have been an element of straight Dem voting, but underneath the surface we are a pretty center-left area.  Don't get me wrong we have our pockets such as Fox Chase and Crestmont Farms which are fairly conservative and more populist working class Catholic neighborhoods such as Mayfair and Bridesburg who vote GOP on "moral values" or dare I say it race.  We also have our more liberal Jewish neighborhoods such as Oxford Circle, Castor Gardens, Bustleton, Pine Valley, with parts of Rhawnhurst and Somerton thrown in there along with more secular Catholics between the cracks in other areas give the Dems a good edge on the national level here. 

Locally though Republican mayoral candidates other than the Rendell years do extremely well here and we send 4 fairly populist Republicans to Harrisburg and the only 3 GOPers to City Council.  I will admit there is an underlying race factor here, but I'm going to also say a good number of the black Dems do little to help themselves.  I mean John Street is a boob that thinks 1/3 of our city, the Northeast, is merely a tax base.  We have some of the worst services compared to other parts of the city.  Ever have a snowstorm?  I've seen the streets near Temple University including back streets clear as a bell when going to class whereas main arteries such as Castor Ave and Rhawn St buried long after I got home.  I'll gladly admit I am forced to vote GOP in city elections at times because of this.