# What's up with Indiana? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 27, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052 "2012-09-27T19:40:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/21 "2012-09-27T22:42:09Z")
They’ve spent the last 101 years watching cars drive in circles. It’s addled their brains. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/22 "2012-09-27T22:59:45Z")
Three points: - 2000 Census classifies Indiana as 71% urban, vs 88% for Illinois and 77% for Ohio. - Voters tend to vote Democratic if they are near an Ocean (other than Gulf of Mexico) _or the Great Lakes_ ! - Almost half of Indiana’s population is South of the Mason-Dixon line. The two other states have much more northerly population. (An easy way to see rough population plots is via [Wikipedia pages like this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana%27s_congressional_districts).) (No, the Mason-Dixon latitude isn’t magic. But there is a slight North-South gradient in certain American attitudes.) ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/23 "2012-09-27T23:02:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Indiana, with its KKK history, is a prize To add to this, my understanding is that Indiana was settled from south to north, by immigrants from Kentucky and Tennessee. As opposed to east to west, like Ohio and Illinois. So, more Scots Irish and southern English, and fewer northern English (Yankees) and Germans. Northernmost Klan stronghold, less urbanized, less industrialized. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/24 "2012-09-27T23:29:23Z")
> [@Honesty](#): > > Well, if their [license plates](http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/02/igwtplate_2.jpg) are any indication, the whole state loves God long time. I saw what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/25 "2012-09-28T15:05:11Z")
Save for Indy, Gary, and the Chicago suburbs in the northwest, it’s a pretty rural state. Auto manufacturing isn’t nearly the big deal there as it is in neighboring Michigan and Ohio, only 100,000 or so workers and those aren’t working for the Big Three, so the auto bailout is a non-issue there. Forget Indiana, what the hell is wrong with the Texas to North Dakota belt? Save for a couple outlier years, you can color that whole band red before the candidates even think about running. My guess is that it’s because the lower half of the belt are rednecks and the upper half hayseeds, but seriously WTF? One would think that farm issues would be the big deal and I don’t really see where Republicans have an edge with that issue. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/26 "2012-09-28T15:10:31Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I saw what you did there. Me so holy? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/27 "2012-09-28T16:02:50Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Forget Indiana, what the hell is wrong with the Texas to North Dakota belt? Save for a couple outlier years, you can color that whole band red before the candidates even think about running. My guess is that it’s because the lower half of the belt are rednecks and the upper half hayseeds, but seriously WTF? WAG - the NRA is great at getting their message out, and scaring gun owners against Democrats? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/28 "2012-09-28T16:08:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Save for Indy, Gary, and the Chicago suburbs in the northwest, it’s a pretty rural state. Auto manufacturing isn’t nearly the big deal there as it is in neighboring Michigan and Ohio, only 100,000 or so workers and those aren’t working for the Big Three, so the auto bailout is a non-issue there. > > Forget Indiana, what the hell is wrong with the Texas to North Dakota belt? Save for a couple outlier years, you can color that whole band red before the candidates even think about running. My guess is that it’s because the lower half of the belt are rednecks and the upper half hayseeds, but seriously WTF? One would think that farm issues would be the big deal and I don’t really see where Republicans have an edge with that issue. Farmers have a big problem with federal regulation, even while holding out their hands for the subsidies. They think that a Republican administration means less government, although history would tell them otherwise. Quite often, as in the case of Oregon and Washington, the rural areas are at the mercy of governance from the few large urban areas, who have the most votes, and have a fairly legitimate beef (ha!) that city dwellers do not understand farming needs. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/29 "2012-09-28T17:10:48Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Farmers have a big problem with federal regulation, even while holding out their hands for the subsidies. Not to mention rural roads, electrification, and postal service. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/30 "2012-09-28T17:12:38Z")
… and aqueducts. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/31 "2012-09-28T17:13:52Z")
But besides farm subsidies, rural roads, electrification, postal service, aqueducts, and defending the land, what has Washington ever done for us? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/32 "2012-09-28T18:25:49Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > … and aqueducts. Viaducts? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/33 "2012-09-28T18:35:55Z")
Vhy not a chicken, Groucho? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/34 "2012-09-28T18:36:25Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Viaducts? All right, why a duck? ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/35 "2012-09-28T18:38:45Z")
> [@Oldeb](#): > > You’re entirely correct. It’s a rural/urban divide just like in Illinois. If you look at [Indiana’s Congressional Districts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana's_congressional_districts) you’ll see that of the nine districts two are overwhelming Democratic (one centered on Gary/East Chicago and one centered on Indianapolis), one is mildly Republican (the rest of the Region Rats in the NW) and the other six are firmly Republican. > > [This is basically in line with population density in Indiana.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Indiana_population_map.png) Just to help highlight the urban/rural divide there is a pretty cool map here [http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/](http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/) They scaled the map of the US according to county and population and all sorts of other things. There is also a link there to the 2010 congressional elections. Someone here on the SMDB posted the link during the '08 election cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Anna\_Nimity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Anna\_Nimity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anna_Nimity)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/36 "2012-09-28T19:51:36Z")
I grew up in NW Indiana and its very different from the rest of the state. Lake County (which is most of NW Indiana) is 8% of the total state population and only 70% white (25% black plus other minorities) so that probably had something to do with '08. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/37 "2012-10-25T01:11:30Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Remember Richard Lugar, the highly respected Republican seantor from Indiana? The one who was first elected in 1976, chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was likely to be elected President Pro Tem if the Republicans win the Senate this year? > > That guy was soundly defeated in the primary this spring by the Tea Party candidate, Richard Mourdock. It’s an indication that the voter climate in the Hoosier state has soured. You mean [“God intends rape babies” Richard Mourdock](http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/indiana-senate-candidate-richard-mourdock-pregnancy-from-rape-something-god-intended/)? ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/38 "2012-10-25T01:27:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > You mean [“God intends rape babies” Richard Mourdock](http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/indiana-senate-candidate-richard-mourdock-pregnancy-from-rape-something-god-intended/)? You know, I completely, 1000%, disagree with Murdock on this. That being said, I can respect the fact that he is at least consistent on this. If you truly believe that Gods make you pregnant for whatever reason, and that human life is sacred, then of course rape should not be an exception. I admire his balls for sticking to his position. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/39 "2012-10-25T01:35:19Z")
If God can intend a rape, He can intend an abortion. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052/40 "2012-10-25T01:58:31Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > I admire his balls for sticking to his position. There’s something deeply wrong with admiring a guy’s testicles on the issue of rape. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-indiana/636052.md?page=3)