North Carolina and how most are wrong

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

The influence of the Research Triangle is exaggerated I think.  Raleigh metro is only about 12% of the state population.

It's more than that. Raleigh-Durham (you have to include both) is 18% of NC.
For comparison, Charlotte is 21% of NC and the Triad is 17% of NC.

While I'm not sure. I think Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Democratic than Atlanta Metro. The problem is NC without Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Republican than Georgia without Atlanta.

Actually, it's the opposite. Raleigh is about as Democratic as Atlanta. Trump actually won Metrolina and the Triad when you include all the burbs. However, NC cities like Fayetteville and Asheville make the rest of the state somewhat less Republican.

[Roronoa D. Law]

The influence of the Research Triangle is exaggerated I think.  Raleigh metro is only about 12% of the state population.

It's more than that. Raleigh-Durham (you have to include both) is 18% of NC.
For comparison, Charlotte is 21% of NC and the Triad is 17% of NC.

While I'm not sure. I think Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Democratic than Atlanta Metro. The problem is NC without Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Republican than Georgia without Atlanta.

Actually, it's the opposite. Raleigh is about as Democratic as Atlanta. Trump actually won Metrolina and the Triad when you include all the burbs. However, NC cities like Fayetteville and Asheville make the rest of the state somewhat less Republican.

Oh, I was speaking about the combined votes of NC top 3 Metros vs. Atlanta Metro. Together Triad, Triangle, and Charlotte are the same size population-wise as Atlanta Metro and they take up the same amount of their respective state population.

[ProgressiveModerate]

The influence of the Research Triangle is exaggerated I think.  Raleigh metro is only about 12% of the state population.

It's more than that. Raleigh-Durham (you have to include both) is 18% of NC.
For comparison, Charlotte is 21% of NC and the Triad is 17% of NC.

While I'm not sure. I think Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Democratic than Atlanta Metro. The problem is NC without Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Republican than Georgia without Atlanta.

Actually, it's the opposite. Raleigh is about as Democratic as Atlanta. Trump actually won Metrolina and the Triad when you include all the burbs. However, NC cities like Fayetteville and Asheville make the rest of the state somewhat less Republican.

Oh, I was speaking about the combined votes of NC top 3 Metros vs. Atlanta Metro. Together Triad, Triangle, and Charlotte are the same size population-wise as Atlanta Metro and they take up the same amount of their respective state population.

At the end of the day, the margin difference between GA and NC will be very small, but they probably will split and vote different directions. Had things gone just a little differently, Democrats might've won NC while losing GA. Just because GA appears to have narrowly voted for Biden while NC appears to have not, doesn't make them dramatically different politically.

[Badger]

As someone who's been actively following elections since the early 80s, North Carolina feels like it is always been Fool's Gold for Democrats. More so than Florida even.

Notwithstanding Obama narrowly carrying it in 2008 and some periodic Senate race wins, North Carolina has pulled the football away from the Democrats more often than Florida in the last 30 years

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

The influence of the Research Triangle is exaggerated I think.  Raleigh metro is only about 12% of the state population.

It's more than that. Raleigh-Durham (you have to include both) is 18% of NC.
For comparison, Charlotte is 21% of NC and the Triad is 17% of NC.

While I'm not sure. I think Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Democratic than Atlanta Metro. The problem is NC without Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Republican than Georgia without Atlanta.

Actually, it's the opposite. Raleigh is about as Democratic as Atlanta. Trump actually won Metrolina and the Triad when you include all the burbs. However, NC cities like Fayetteville and Asheville make the rest of the state somewhat less Republican.

Oh, I was speaking about the combined votes of NC top 3 Metros vs. Atlanta Metro. Together Triad, Triangle, and Charlotte are the same size population-wise as Atlanta Metro and they take up the same amount of their respective state population.

Okay. Anyway, I can tell you that in 2016, these were the stats:

North Carolina
Population 3 metros: 5,364,856 (56%)
Population rest of state: 4,170,627 (44%)
Net votes 3 metros: Clinton+64,863 (52%)
Net votes rest of state: Trump+262,187 (57%)

Georgia
Population Atlanta: 5,286,728 (55%)
Population rest of state: 4,400,925 (45%)
Net votes Atlanta: Clinton+174,809 (54%)
Net votes rest of state: Trump+406,132 (62%)

So basically, you're spot-on about the population sizes but Clinton got more votes out of Atlanta than the 3 NC metros while losing rural GA by more than rural NC.

[Roronoa D. Law]

The influence of the Research Triangle is exaggerated I think.  Raleigh metro is only about 12% of the state population.

It's more than that. Raleigh-Durham (you have to include both) is 18% of NC.
For comparison, Charlotte is 21% of NC and the Triad is 17% of NC.

While I'm not sure. I think Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Democratic than Atlanta Metro. The problem is NC without Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad is more Republican than Georgia without Atlanta.

Actually, it's the opposite. Raleigh is about as Democratic as Atlanta. Trump actually won Metrolina and the Triad when you include all the burbs. However, NC cities like Fayetteville and Asheville make the rest of the state somewhat less Republican.

Oh, I was speaking about the combined votes of NC top 3 Metros vs. Atlanta Metro. Together Triad, Triangle, and Charlotte are the same size population-wise as Atlanta Metro and they take up the same amount of their respective state population.

Okay. Anyway, I can tell you that in 2016, these were the stats:

North Carolina
Population 3 metros: 5,364,856 (56%)
Population rest of state: 4,170,627 (44%)
Net votes 3 metros: Clinton+64,863 (52%)
Net votes rest of state: Trump+262,187 (57%)

Georgia
Population Atlanta: 5,286,728 (55%)
Population rest of state: 4,400,925 (45%)
Net votes Atlanta: Clinton+174,809 (54%)
Net votes rest of state: Trump+406,132 (62%)

So basically, you're spot-on about the population sizes but Clinton got more votes out of Atlanta than the 3 NC metros while losing rural GA by more than the 3 NC metros.

I wonder what it will be like now considering the swing in Metro Atlanta was much more pronounced than the 3 in NC.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Even though you were incorrect, considering that North Carolina voted to Florida's left this year, I think the Democrats do have a future here with a bit of work. Georgia is probably going to consistently vote to its left going forward though.