It's not red state vs blue state—It's red county vs blue county (small town America)

Vanity | Nov. 16, 2004 | Vanity

[StAntKnee]

Map of the US after the 2004 presidential election shows where the winning votes have to come from. Victory comes from counties and small towns. McCain and Palin have to carry them all plus enough from the cities to reach the tipping point.

THAT is why Palin's small-town roots are spot-on.

Sorry, no USA Today link accepted but maybe below will help. Prepare to see red.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/countymap.htm

[stillonaroll]

So, my question is: can the less densely populated "red" areas within these states out-vote the more densely populated urban "blue" areas to put the rest of the state as a win in the "red" column??

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In some states it cannot be done: IL, NY, CA. The densely populated cesspools of criminals, public assistance recipients, degenerates and illegal aliens overwhelm the exurban and rural populations.

[KriegerGeist]

"I believe they could if the voting process was cleaned up. But most big cities are in the hands of Democrat machines and they are the ones committing the fraud to try to outvote the non-urban areas."

Exactly! That is why during the 2000, 2004, 2006 elections I was on here ranting and raving about vote/voter reform! From "proper-legal-valid voter registration, then to registered voters showing their valid-legal-proper IDs, to HARD-COPY optical-scanned ballots (don't trust the electronic machines with ether-votes on a hard drive only), to bi-party-monitored voting/polling places!

I even went all crazy (over-the-top perhaps) on a "standardized" hard-copy ballot type that cannot in anyway be "misinterpreted" (no chads or even punch holes). A ballot that has a circle next to a candidate or issue to be filled in like a bingo card with indelible ink pen and then can be tabulated by optical scanner. Recounts are possible by hand counting hard-copy ballots if necessary.

I even advocated having an attached numeric receipt that detaches from the ballot to give to the voter. That is a stretch, but a voter could check his/her number against a roster to make sure they were not "disenfranchised" Sort of like a ticket stub to redeem your cleaning or item. It's still would be anonymous.

I know vote fraud cannot be completely wiped out, but I'm all for fighting it vigorously and with all possible means. Voting confidence does mean a lot to those taking the time to do it. If a person's ballot looks to them solid, sound and assured to count, then it means more. We heard nightmare stories from Wisconsin, Michigan Missouri, Pennsylvania and who can forget Florida and the whole Dakota Indian reservation thing? I believe that many of those past horror stories can be remedied.

[Dick Bachert]

Thanks.

I was stationed in the Washington area with the Air Force but never made the trip to Monticello. My wife and I corrected that oversight a few years ago. In the intervening years I had become deeply concerned with the course America was taking.

After visiting the beautiful home in which Mr. Jefferson – due to his service to the nation he helped create – spent but a few years, we made our way to the small family cemetery down the hill from the house. We were the only ones there and as we approached, I felt myself overcome with emotion. Not certain where that emotion would take me, I asked my wife to go on to the car.

As I stood reading the modest inscription on his headstone, I wept. For Mr. Jefferson. For ALL of the 56.

And for America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIo8FJJMps8

[fightinJAG]

It's common sense versus lunacy.

Watch this soldier's video address to Obama.

[Joe 6-pack]

Neither Obama or McCain will win a single county in Louisiana.

[AuntB]

My favorite Jefferson quote. The man clearly saw what we faced more than once.

In a prophetic letter decades earlier ,
President Thomas Jefferson expressed
the fears of many of his contemporaries over conflicts
of states’ rights, westward settlement, federalism and slavery.

“This momentous question,
like a fire bell in the night,
awakened and filled one with terror,
I considered it at once as the knell of the Union.
It is hushed indeed for the moment.
but this is a reprieve only,
not a final sentence . . .
we have the wolf by the ears
and we can neither hold him
nor safely let him go.”

[Dick Bachert]

I have come to have more respect for JFK and believe I know that he was killed because he was on the verge of alerting the country to powerful forces working against us. While certainly no Jefferson, Kennedy did pay a unique tribute to him at a gathering of his entire cabinet and some of his brighter policy advisors in the White House.

I paraphrase but it went something like “There hasn’t been so much brain power assembled in this room since Mr. Jefferson dined here alone.”

Roger that.

[Dick Bachert]

Mr. Jefferson DID offer solutions:

“...the natural tendency of things is for government to gain
ground and for liberty to yield...let no more be heard of
confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”

“A strict observance of the written laws is doubtlessly one of
the highest duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest.
The law of necessity, of self preservation, of saving our country
when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by
a scrupulous adherence to written law would be to lose law
itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are
enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the
means.”

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.”

[MCOAvalanche]

In looking at the 2004 map where the concentrations of blue are I think are Obama weak areas in 2008 -

Florida southeast - Boca/West Palm could go McCain over handling of Israel and Hillary; Florida will go red regardless.

Southwest Texas (even though Texas will go red) can go red over immigration. say what you want, McCain is the lesser of two evils on this issue;

I think Louisiana goes red based on Hurrricane Gustav - I feel people see how Jindal handled situation vs. what’s her name, I think that gives Jindal reverse coattails, if you know what I mean;

I also think Michigan will go red based on Romney support and because I think Obama’s tax plan is sinking in on blue collar types as not what they want, plus I think McCain Palin resonates with blue collar workers vs. two career politicians.

OK, this is my unicorn flying over the rainbow moment - I also think NY and Pennsylvania will go red because of the reasons stated above - the rural folk are pissed about being controlled by a small group of folks concentrated in urban areas. I believe we are going to see record turnout in these areas.

Lastly, I truly believe there are more vocal supporters of Obama then actual supporters. People I talk to are afraid of not saying they like Obama because they are afraid of being labelled a racist. I’ve seen it happen personally where a college kid asked my 85 year old father why he was wearing a McCain pin - was he afraid of giving a black man power, to which my father responded no he was afraid to give a liberal power. LOL, I love my old man!!

Anyway, I am feeling more and more confident that we will be seeing the makings of a BIG win in November. If Obama is spending so much time in Pennsylvania lately, things are going south for the Dums.

[mo]

I agree...up to a point...but here’s an interesting link...your local US attorney should have jurisdiction ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051301106.html

[StAntKnee]

Good analysis.

Hoping you’re right.

THinking you are.