Comments on: Missouri, Seriously, We’ve Gotta Talk

By: Safely Ignored » Show Me Democracy

Safely Ignored » Show Me Democracy — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:31:46 +0000

[...] state’s shift toward conservatism has been noted by many. Theories abound about causes, from progressive drain (which I hadn’t yet contributed to, I voted as a St. Louisian this last time) to racism to [...]

By: Donklephant » Blog Archive » McCain Wins Missouri!

Donklephant » Blog Archive » McCain Wins Missouri! — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:05:40 +0000

[...] my home state definitely took its sweet damn time announcing this, but now it’s finally official that we picked Mac, which means we’ve [...]

By: Marvin Music

Marvin Music — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:17:15 +0000

Except replace Kansas with Missouri. I got confused earlier when I read Kathleen Sebelius’ name somewhere.

By: Marvin Music

Marvin Music — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:16:01 +0000

AG, I think Tiger meant the election in Kansas is close – not overall where Obama won rather easily (as Tiger also pointed out as a reason of why there shouldn’t be a rush to get Kansas’ results since they do not really matter as far as the outcome of the election – Obama won.)

By: Daniel

Daniel — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:07:36 +0000

Mutant,

I’m quite sure he’s not saying what you think he’s saying.

By: Missouri mule

Missouri mule — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:59:36 +0000

If Missouri is trending Republican, as previous posters have claimed, then why did the Democrats win nearly every statewide race in Missouri this year? I would argue that the state is moving back to the left, but some of the older independents let race get in the way of their presidential vote.

By: bubba

bubba — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:01:15 +0000

Missouri has the 12th highest 65+ population and the 23rd highest 18-29 population.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/2966201223_422bb9b008_o.png

Red favored McCain. Blue favored Obama.

By: mutant minds

mutant minds — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:42:19 +0000

agree to disagree on Palin? that’s a joke, right? and both candidates were good? another joke, yes?

Seriously, a man who believes we are winning our stupid wars, who thought the Vietnam war was going just fine until we left, and a woman who can’t name preconditions to Iran talks nor a major US newspaper.

Those were jokes, right? Please, please tell they were jokes. I didn’t think people just parroted Fox News, but i guess I’m wrong

By: Steve Cooper

Steve Cooper — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:44:12 +0000

Hip, hip, hurray! We Missourians finally lose our claim to picking the president.

It was always an arrogant claim, as if all the other states didn’t really matter–we were the *real* bellwether state.

Of course, we aren’t and haven’t been for 20 years. The state has been trending Republican east, west, north, and south. The result is that Missouri is about 5-7% more Republican that the country overall.

I’ve always said it would be fun to cut the state in half along I-70, and retally the votes (we’ll take St. Louis and Kansas in the north half, please… also, please give us Columbia for god’s sake!)

By: Elizabeth Yohe Moore

Elizabeth Yohe Moore — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:14:30 +0000

@Gretchen – the funny thing about the demographics in MO is they’re deceptive – I believe that in MO the middle aged voters went to McCain, while there are a lot of yellow dog Democrats in the elderly population. This is an alternate explanation for the increasing Republican lean: the Democratic voters of MO are all dying of old age, while the young population that tends to stay in the state are conservative.

By: Gretchen Atwood

Gretchen Atwood — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:55:49 +0000

Missouri lost its bellwether tendencies about 20 years ago. MO has been sliding toward “lean Republican” for that time, we just didn’t realize it because the state went for neighbor and southern boy, Clinton, and for Bush (gack) twice. It’s natural leaning these days seem on the conservative side of middle.

This doesn’t mean it won’t go Dem again but it didn’t for a liberal African-American. As someone who volunteered for Obama in the state — and grew up there — I can vouch that race did play a role in the election.

It seems like a lot of the younger folks in MO leave the state and go elsewhere. I have no data on this, though. I would love to know if MO also skkews older than average as well. That *could* be a reason for its inching right-ward.

By: AG

AG — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:33:03 +0000

obviously that is the root of the problem here. “A Tiger” and others in former VIP state Missouri see the election results as a “close election”. It was not close at all. Obama won with a commanding 365 electoral votes. So Missouri really does need to get over the fact that the state is not such a bell weather state any more.
that distinction belongs to Virginia. Virginia is the new Missouri. The VA vote percentages almost exactly mirrored the national vote percentages.

By: A Tiger

A Tiger — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:32:06 +0000

Missouri has until Tuesday (by state law) to total up our votes. We would rather have an accurate count in such a close election and besides what does it matter, the election is settled. Our 11 electoral college votes one way or another will not change that.