Other oddball trends:
Pennsylvania. This state has been getting steadily more Republican since 1984, and doesn't seem to be following any larger trends.
To a certain degree, that's a result of "the Politics of Abortion"
I think Abortion may be a moderating influence on the Metro Shift, as urban Catholics are becoming less and less enthusiastic about Democrats. But then, Abortion probably plays a role in all of these trends. I think it's one of the main things driving the Prairie Shift. Unless the Democrats moderate on Abortion, they will permamently lose their Midwestern strongholds. Unless the Republicans do likewise, they can forget about the Northeast and California.
The Democrats main problem with abortion IS losing voters, but not in the matter you talk about. If you agree that more than half of all abortions are had by women who would vote Demcratic, and then agree that in many cases, a child's political beliefs are similar to a parent's, the Democrats are losing a lot of votes, nationwide.
