Maps While U Wait

Maps While U Wait

Tomorrow of course is all about maps and while these aren't the ones you want they're at least a little political cartography.



This one illustrates the percentage of folks self-identifying as "conservative" (vs. "moderate" and "liberal") in a Gallup survey. It very closely overlays the Obama-McCain map with a couple minor variations. Two moderate states went for McCain, Montana and his own Arizona.

But the glaring exception is Iowa. How come? Well, reading down the crosstabs it seems there's almost an inverse relationship between income and conservatism. It's what the Brits would call "working class Tories" and what Americans would call the Larry the Cable Guy demographic. This tells me self-ID as conservatism is social issue driven. A handy tool for an economic ruling class to have.

The good news is that the lighter colored states still add up to an electoral college majority.



This one comes under the catchy headline "Haley Barbour Comes Out Against Slavery." Although, seriously, the sitting GOP governor of Missi-freakin-sippi saying this is kind of a Big Deal:

“Slavery was the primary, central, cause of secession,” Barbour told me Friday. “The Civil War was necessary to bring about the abolition of slavery,” he continued. “Abolishing slavery was morally imperative and necessary, and it’s regrettable that it took the Civil War to do it. But it did.”

Remember, this is the only state that STILL has a Confederate flag in its state flag.

Anyway, the map argues that Henry Clay won the election of 1844, we never had a Civil War, and we got three new countries out of the deal: California, Texas, and Utah I mean Deseret.

As for THE map, look for me and Jerry Mandering to check in on that roughly noon tomorrow.