Why is Arkansas less conservative than other southern states?

[Gustaf]

Partisanship is probably one of the most important aspects of Arkansas. It seems to me that it differs from the Deep South in that it has fewer blacks and thus less obsession with race issues and from the Peripheral South in that it doesn't have as big a suburban electorate.

Historically, it seems like there is a very strong partisan loyalty in Arkansas. Look at 1928 for instance. Smith basically collapsed all over the South, compared to Davis, but not in Arkansas. His share of the vote was less than a point below Davis. If you look at 1948 when Thurmond did well in the South Truman still got more than 60% in Arkansas. In the following elections it was closer of course, but neither Eisenhower, nor Nixon nor Goldwater made it really close. The picture becomes a little more mixed after that, but it's still evident that Arkansas retained a strong loyalty (Carter topped 60% in 1976 for instance)

[Gustaf]

I should point out that I was going more by historical data in my comment on suburbs. Suburbanization was largely responsible for states like Virginia, Tennessee, Florida and Texas swinging towards the Republicans in the 50s and 60s.

[Gustaf]

I should point out that I was going more by historical data in my comment on suburbs. Suburbanization was largely responsible for states like Virginia, Tennessee, Florida and Texas swinging towards the Republicans in the 50s and 60s.

Oh yes, in that sense it's valid.

And what is interesting is of course that this de-Southernization of certain states which made them more Republican friendly in the past is now taking them in the other direction, so that Florida and Virginia were actually Kerry's best states in the South, despite the fact that neither voted for Clinton in 1992 (and Virginia of course not even for Carter).