The Southern White Vote: Pre-Election Polls vs. Exit Polls

[Tender Branson]

AL: (SurveyUSA) Whites 78-19 McCain, Actual Result: 88-10 McCain

AR: (ARG) Whites 60-36 McCain, Actual Result: 68-30 McCain

FL: (SurveyUSA) Whites 53-43 McCain, Actual Result: 56-42 McCain

GA: (SurveyUSA) Whites 72-25 McCain, Actual Result: 76-23 McCain

IN: (PPP) Whites 53-44 McCain, Actual Result: 54-45 McCain

KY: (SurveyUSA) Whites 59-37 McCain, Actual Result: 63-36 McCain

LA: (Rasmussen) Whites 77-23 McCain, Actual Result: 84-14 McCain

MO: (Rasmussen) Whites 52-46 McCain, Actual Result: 57-42 McCain

MS: (R2000) Whites 81-13 McCain, Actual Result: 88-11 McCain

NC: (PPP) Whites 61-37 McCain, Actual Result: 64-35 McCain

OH: (PPP) Whites 55-43 McCain, Actual Result: 52-46 McCain

OK: (SurveyUSA) Whites 69-28 McCain, Actual Result: 71-29 McCain

SC: (SurveyUSA) Whites 70-26 McCain, Actual Result: 73-26 McCain

TN: (R2000) Whites 63-29 McCain, Actual Result: 63-34 McCain

TX: (R2000) Whites 68-25 McCain, Actual Result: 73-26 McCain

VA: (PPP) Whites 56-42 McCain, Actual Result: 60-39 McCain

WV: (PPP) Whites 57-40 McCain, Actual Result: 57-41 McCain

[Aizen]

Joke region

[LanceMcSteel]

The South is pathetic.

[Workers' Friend]

And? Obama can't gain our vote anyway.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Ok not all of the south is. Just the Deep South.

[Workers' Friend]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Ok not all of the south is. Just the Deep South.

Okay, that pisses me off. Just because we don't vote Democratic all the time doesn't mean we suck.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Ok not all of the south is. Just the Deep South.

Okay, that pisses me off. Just because we don't vote Democratic all the time doesn't mean we suck.

I never said that. I don't think the deep south because of the culture.

[Workers' Friend]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Ok not all of the south is. Just the Deep South.

Okay, that pisses me off. Just because we don't vote Democratic all the time doesn't mean we suck.

I never said that. I don't think the deep south because of the culture.

Okay, but the other 2 before you still piss me off about what they said. I don't ;say the North is a joke region because it never votes GOP.

[Lunar]

The North never votes GOP?

How do you define "The North?"
How do you define "never?"

[Sam Spade]

Indiana and Ohio are not part of the South.  And a good argument can be made that KY, WV and OK aren't either.

Still, this is surprising how?  Imagine if the election hadn't been about Democratic-favorable issues (for now) in a very Democratic-favorable environment, for a sec...

[Workers' Friend]

Please ban vander. He is not a real American. Real America voted for Obama.

There is no Real America, only variations of an  America.

Ask Sarah Palin.

The ice cube humper?

[??????????]

What about Maryland?

[Meeker]

So does this not show up in the white vote in the rest of the country?

[JSojourner]

I gotta say, I am really fed up with people hating on the South.  I'm a left wing liberal and sure -- I would much rather everyone down there (and everywhere) voted MY way in both Presidential and Senatorial races.  And I sure wish race never entered the picture.

But this business of characterizing the South as stupid, illiterate and hateful is a mile wide and a quarter inch deep.  The Ku Klux Klan is alive and well...in Indiana.  The Church of Jesus Christ, Christian was getting along swimmingly through the 1990's...in Ohio.  Radical hate groups, skinheads, neo-nazis and others have vomited their ugliness in places like New Hampshire, Idaho, Illinois and Michigan...as well as down south.

Just today, in church, a lady asked that we remember President Bush in prayer as he leaves the White House and President-elect Obama as he enters.  I was touched.  But then she added, "I'm afraid some crazy from down south will try to kill Obama just because he's black."
I had a polite word with her afterwards. 

Sure, there are ignorant SOB hatemongers in the South.  There are also men and women committed to the struggle for freedom and dignity.  Morris Dees is a Southerner.  Jimmy Carter is a Southerner.  Dr. King was a Southerner.  And there are plenty more Southrons who are just living day to day, not hating anyone but not particularly committed to any specifc kind of social justice.  Getting the bills paid, the kids raised and staying healthy and happy pretty much take up all their time.  Can any of us blame them?  I hope they eventually join the struggle, but if they don't -- they are neither stupid, nor racist.

The story of ignorance, hate and racism is an American story.  We recoil when we see the Confederate flag -- claiming it is a symbol of hate.  Really?  The KKK and various Nazi movements use it, to be sure.  But they also use our beloved stars and stripes.  Does that make our present flag a hate symbol?  We wring our hands because the Stars and bars and other incarnations of the Southern flag flew over slave states.  True.  So did our precious flag.  New York was a slave state once.

If we are to be one nation, we need to dispense with nonsensical regional stereotypes.  When we see race hatred, confront that for the stupidity and evil it is.  When we encounter ignorance, superstition and urban legend, we need to educate.  But where the person spewing hate or ignorance is from has nothing to do with it.

Sorry for the long rant.  But just as I get sick and tired of hearing how liberals, New Englanders and Californians "hate America" or come from "fake America"...so I get bone-weary of being told Georgians are inbred dupes and Arkansans are unenlightened hate merchants.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Shut up.

[Franzl]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Shut up.

a pity you don't even live in the South.

[The Populist]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Shut up.

a pity you don't even live in the South.

Are you saying Virginia isn't in the South?  Where does he live?

[Franzl]

Joke region

The South is pathetic.

Shut up.

a pity you don't even live in the South.

Are you saying Virginia isn't in the South?  Where does he live?

well if you consider DC suburbs like Arlington to be southern...

[phk]

Did the NE have a bigger Bradley Effect?

[NOVA Green]

Did the NE have a bigger Bradley Effect?

I don't believe that exit polls being off in a handful of Southern states to be evidence of the Bradley effect.

There are many other possible reasons that could explain this effect, including MOE, respondent bias, etc...

[agcatter]

Those horrible southern whites voted by large percentages against Barack Obama?  Say it aint so.  They indeed must be "pathetic".  Why, can you imagine 70 and 80 percent of whites in a region voting in a bloc  because of race for the white guy?

Thank God blacks would never stoop to voting in bloc due to race. 

LMAO

[??????????]

Thank you JS, beautifully written. I really appreciate that, I mean it.

[The Populist]

Thank you JS, beautifully written. I really appreciate that, I mean it.

Agreed.  An absolutely wonderful sentiment.

[Person Man]

It is what it is. Ok?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Thank you JS, beautifully written. I really appreciate that, I mean it.

Agreed.  An absolutely wonderful sentiment.