Day 17: Kentucky

[MaC]

As of 2000:

As of 2004 (by the way, this is the time Bush "stole" it   ):



It voted for Clinton both times in the nineties; Carter in
76.  Perhaps a bit less Republican than other southern states?  I don't know. Discuss.

[Alcon]

Of all the U.S. states, Kentucky is by far the one I know the least about, but Al knows quite a considerable amount.

[jacob_101]

Kentucky must be on of those states when the Democrats run a southerner it is in play?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

It voted for Clinton both times in the nineties; Carter in
76.  Perhaps a bit less Republican than other southern states?

The way people talk about Bush, I'd think Kentucky would be about the least Republican place in the world. I've never heard of any politician being hated so much.

In any event, some of those counties such as Pike or Floyd will NEVER go Republican as long as the GOP continues to be as conservative as it is. Even in these rural areas people tend to be very progressive on economic matters, which outweighs any other issue. As far as I can see, this isn't going to change. Ever.

[danwxman]

Does anybody know about the two counties that voted for Bush in 2000, but Kerry in 2004?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Does anybody know about the two counties that voted for Bush in 2000, but Kerry in 2004?

There's more than 2 counties, and this happened because these are either mining, tobacco, or university counties.

[Alcon]

Does anybody know about the two counties that voted for Bush in 2000, but Kerry in 2004?

There is a crescent of them:

Bath
Carter
Magoffin
Menifee
Rowan
Wolfe

Probably all mining areas.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Rowan County has a major university, and university areas trended Democratic in 2004.

[King]

The way people talk about Bush, I'd think Kentucky would be about the least Republican place in the world. I've never heard of any politician being hated so much.

You live in a lower-to-middle class suburb of Cincinatti.  I wouldn't be suprised if Bush is hated in your area.

[King]

Does anybody know about the two counties that voted for Bush in 2000, but Kerry in 2004?

There's more than 2 counties, and this happened because these are either mining, tobacco, or university counties.

Based on the first two, I'd say that would be a reason for it to go Republican.  Universities probably played a big role depending on the size of the university.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Based on the first two, I'd say that would be a reason for it to go Republican.

Some of the tobacco areas did trend Democratic in 2004. A lot of the farmers actually did vote for Gore in 2000 though.

[Alcon]

Rowan County has a major university, and university areas trended Democratic in 2004.

That may be true, but there is literally a line of counties connected to eachother that flipped, which Rowan is smack dab in the middle of.

Morehead State is in Rowan County, right?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Morehead State is in Rowan County, right?

Yes.

All of these counties are pretty close to Ohio, which also trended Democratic in 2004.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Kentucky is actually a very interesting state with an extremely volatile electorate; basic political regions are:

Western Kentucky

Strongly Democratic by registration and heavily Baptist by religion, Democrats out there tend to be Dixiecrats and the area is now one of the state's two swing regions. A very working class area with an important coalfield (largely) to the immediate west of Owensboro.

Bluegrass

A traditional swing area with an interesting mix of sizeable cities, the state government and agricultural areas (those south of Lexington traditionally favouring the GOP, the rest being traditionally Democratic). Tobacco is a hot button issue in most of the area.

Louisville Metro

Louisville itself is divided into three roughly equal areas; Sound End (largely white and blue collar with very strong unions), West End (largely black) and East End (full of affluent, white collar Republicans) while most of the suburbs are increasingly white collar and very Republican for the most part.

Northern Kentucky

Is made up of just three counties across the river from Cincinnati, is largely affluent, white collar and German Catholic and is increasingly dominating the state GOP. Northern Kentucky is easily the most [economically] conservative part of Kentucky and is more like the rest of the Cincinnati metro area than the rest of Kentucky.

South Central Kentucky

A Republican stronghold since the Civil War, the area (on the western flank of the Appalachians) is largely working class and home to an old fashioned populist Republicanism which contrasts strongly with the white collar conservatism of Northern Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky

A remote and very working class area in the middle of Appalachia with a huge poverty problem and an economy traditionally based around mining, Eastern Kentucky is a Democratic stronghold and has been ever since the huge UMW organising drive in the early '30's (there are still some towns without a single registered Republican in them). Like southern West Virginia, recent Democratic presidential candidates have badly underperformed in Eastern Kentucky.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Northern Kentucky

Is made up of just three counties across the river from Cincinnati, is largely affluent, white collar and German Catholic and is increasingly dominating the state GOP. Northern Kentucky is easily the most [economically] conservative part of Kentucky and is more like the rest of the Cincinnati metro area than the rest of Kentucky.

It has some rich right-wing suburbs, but it has some poor central cities too. Kerry won the cities by about as much as he won Louisville.

Fifteen years ago, however, Campbell County was likely the most conservative large county in America.

[minionofmidas]

Does anybody know about the two counties that voted for Bush in 2000, but Kerry in 2004?

There's more than 2 counties, and this happened because these are either mining, tobacco, or university counties.

Based on the first two, I'd say that would be a reason for it to go Republican.

...in 2000. Area then swung back a bit.
The Senate race had an impact here too IIRC - Mongiardo's from the area.

[minionofmidas]

Kentucky is actually a very interesting state with an extremely volatile electorate; basic political regions are:

Western Kentucky

Strongly Democratic by registration and heavily Baptist by religion, Democrats out there tend to be Dixiecrats and the area is now one of the state's two swing regions. A very working class area with an important coalfield (largely) to the immediate west of Owensboro.

More of an ex-mining area these days IIRC.

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And Southwestern Virginia.

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[Filuwaúrdjan]

The Senate race had an impact here too IIRC - Mongiardo's from the area.

I checked this a while ago, and he's actually from Perry county.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

More of an ex-mining area these days IIRC.

True, although I did here of some plans for more opencast pits

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And one or two counties in TN

[minionofmidas]

Ah yes, West Kentucky coal... let's hear it from... oh I guess a number of interpreters really...

"Paradise"
 
"When I was a child, my family would travel,
To western Kentucky, where my parents were born.
And there's a backwards old town that's often remembered.
So many times that my memories are worn.

(Chorus) And Daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg county,
Down by the Green River, where Paradise lay.
"Well I'm sorry, my son, but you're too late in askin'."
"Mr. Peabody's coal train has hauled it away."

Well, sometimes we'd travel right down the Green River,
To the abandoned old prison down by Aidrie Hill.
Where the air smelled like snakes: we'd shoot with our pistols,
But empty pop bottles was all we would kill.

(Chorus)

Then the coal company came, with the world's largest shovel,
And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land.
Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken.
Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man.

(Chorus)

When I die, let my ashes float down the Green River.
Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester dam.
I'll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waitin',
Just five miles away from wherever I am.

(Chorus)"

Paradise being a former town demolished for a strip mine.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Peabody always was such an ethical company