[snarkytart]

Pfft...There are NO blue states. Just the city verses the county/rural areas.

In MD where I live most of the welfare, crime and unemployment is in the city and the rest of MD has to pay for it.

I assume it is like this in a lot of other states as well.

[ncpatriot]

"most of the welfare, crime and unemployment is in the city"

GOOD POINT

[Jokelahoma]

Exactly! I grew up in Southwest Missorui, where we had to support the government money sponges in downtown Kansas City and St. Louis (Moscow on the Mississippi). Now, in Kansas, there's a large part of Wichita, and Kansas City, KS which are government money areas.

Looking at the election map, you'll see that:

in MO, Kansas City and St. Louis voted for Kerry.

In Kansas, Sedwick country (Wichita) went Bush, but

Douglas (Lawrence, University of Kansas and their liberal professors) and Wyandotte (Kansas City) went Kerry.

So they may be red states, but the blue counties are where the "gubbmint cheese" goes.

On the plus side for Little Larry, he'll be the first to know if he develops polyps in his colon, having a bird's eye view of the situation and all...

[rjmeagle]

In MD where I live most of the welfare, crime and unemployment is in the city and the rest of MD has to pay for it.

You got that right!!! I live in Carroll County, MD (Voted 3.5 to 1 for Bush). Very RED in my county. In fact, most of MD is red except for 4 counties (Prince Georges, Montgomery, Howard and Baltimore).

[dangus]

MA, RI, VT, ME are blue states, even away from the cities.

[okie01]

Pfft...There are NO blue states. Just the city verses the county/rural areas.

Excellent point!

The correct distinction is between "red states" and "blue cities".

[js1138]

Pfft...There are NO blue states. Just the city verses the county/rural areas.

Not all cities are owned by the democrats. I think it is simplest to think of blue and red counties.

I followed several counties in Ohio and Florida throughout the election evening. Once returns started coming in, a county's margin could be predicted to within one point. I have to believe that Rove worked right down to the precinct level to get the turnout he needed.

In spite of our fears, I have seen no evidence of massive double voting. It does seem possible that in some states a few dozen extra votes per county could have shifted the state's results. It would be safer and easier, however, to get a few more legal votes, which is what Rove seems to have done.