# What's the deal with Alabama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 30, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911 "2008-09-30T20:03:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pithy\_Moniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Pithy\_Moniker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithy_Moniker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911/21 "2008-09-30T21:49:55Z")
I’m a blue dot in a sea of red so take this for what it’s worth. I don’t think it’s out of any particular fondness for McCain considering that Huckabee won Alabama’s Republican primary. When McCain secured the nomination, some of the Birmingham morning DJs were fit to be tied. One of them said that the presidential race would now be two Democrats running against each other. (Democrat is a vulgar word and one of the worst insults you can sling at someone in some circles. 😃 ) My own opinion is that most of the Republican support in this state comes from religious takes on social issues: abortion, gay marriage, etc. In the end, they may not like the candidate, but they’re still going to vote Republican even if they have to hold their noses. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911/22 "2008-09-30T21:49:58Z")
> [@A\_shameful\_cracka](#): > > I live in Texas, which is supposed to be in McCain’s pocket, but I’ve seen a few campaign commercials lately, mostly from McCain…could it be that he’s afraid of a surprise upset in Texas? We did have a HUGE hispanic turnout in the Democratic primaries and a sizable black population who might decide to vote for a black president. People only think Texas is in McCain’s pocket because Bush won it easily twice. Apart from the last poll by ARG, which had a ridiculous +21 lead, every poll since late June has it at +9-10 McCain. Part of this shift is because Bush is no longer on the ticket, part of it is that Republicans are slowly alienating Hispanics more and more, and I think part of it is that a lot of people want to vote for Obama, as opposed to sighing and voting for Obama, or voting against McCain. If Obama puts some time and money in there, I honestly think he has a decent shot at winning. Of course, that must also be balanced against Ohio, Nevada, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Virginia, but, you know, that’s one of the calculations each campaign has to make. ---
**Author:** ![IdahoMauleMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71c47a/32.png) [@IdahoMauleMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IdahoMauleMan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911/23 "2008-09-30T21:51:57Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > It’s from a Congressional Quarterly database, but it is proprietary. If you’re a student at a University, you may have access to it. Just found lots of good stuff at [uselectionatlas.org](http://uselectionatlas.org). Check out the % that FDR got during the war years. It tops 80% in some states. Wow. I’m going to be surfing this for hours. It’s fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911/24 "2008-09-30T22:28:34Z")
Until 1992, my state used to be one of the biggest battleground states every year, just like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania still are. But Clinton put in comfortably in the blue column and it has stayed there ever since. Somehow, I don’t think John McCain is going to be the candidate to start reversing this trend. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911/25 "2008-09-30T22:35:58Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > If Obama puts some time and money in there, I honestly think he has a decent shot at winning. Of course, that must also be balanced against Ohio, Nevada, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Virginia, but, you know, that’s one of the calculations each campaign has to make. Yeah. I wouldn’t put too much time and money in a state where I’m down by 10 when, as you mentioned, there’s a lot of low lying fruit elsewhere. Up by 10 is a pretty large lead. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911/26 "2008-09-30T23:20:42Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I’ve been monitoring the polls here (in Alabama) and that’s a particularly high one. Usually it’s more of a 60/40 split McCain/Obama. > > As to why Alabama is so red, I’ve lived here all my life and still wonder. I blame it on very poor public schools, distrust of change, the pervasive religious climates, etc.. What’s interesting is that the state is literally divided down the middle in most elections, with a blue band of counties from Mississippi to Georgia that includes Montgomery and most of the other center counties which go democratic, then a good bit of purple in the population centers of Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile, but the rural areas are redder than the arse of a babboon in high estrus with a sunburn. And yet even the rural areas have [a few brave blue speckles:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10257825&postcount=699) > [@](#): > > Hey! Today I was doing duty at the local Democratic headquarters, greeting walk-ins, dispensing Obama swag (we got yard signs in at last!) and generally holding down the modest fort, when in walked: > > A retired couple from Pisgah, Alabama! Who are on vacation in New England and were just passing by when they saw our little window display and that the office was open, and stopped to get some Obama bumper stickers and buttons! > > Lovely people! The husband said they live a good dozen miles from the nearest red light. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911/27 "2008-09-30T23:44:50Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > It’s from a Congressional Quarterly database, but it is proprietary. If you’re a student at a University, you may have access to it. The database might be proprietary, but the data itself is public domain and has been posted lots of places, including [here](http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1984&f=0). ETA: beaten to the punch apparently. Oh well! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-alabama/465911.md?page=1)