Why is MD A Solid Blue State? (Baltimore, Potomac: section 8, buy)

[bluecountry]

I wondered...how come MD's prominent neighboring states...PA...WV...and VA are all red...yet MD is blue.

Is there something more liberal about MD residents as opposed to PA/WV/VA residents...OR is this just an excellent example of dilution stats?

Consider that VA/PA like MD have big cities
VA-DC suburbs/Richmond/Roanke/Norfolk
PA-PIT/PHI

BUT they have a much bigger geographic area which includes rural areas (and most of WV is rural...it has no major metro region).

Whereas MD has the DC suburbs and Baltimore...but otherwise it's rural area (West MD/South MD/Eastern shore) is nowhere as large in area as PA/WV/VA are.

Thus is MD really that different or is just it being a smaller state makes it harder to dilute the metro blue regions?

Is MD outside of DC and BAL not much different or more liberal than rural PA/WV/VA? a

[cory81]

Most of Maryland is just one big suburb of either DC or Baltimore. And as you know, most big cities are liberal cities. The rural parts of the state aren't very populated, while the urban and suburban portions are very densely populated.

[Zippy7fo]

MD is blue because of college educated-creative types who all tend to lean left. You don't ask people if they graduated from college here, you ask them where they went. Its assumed you graduated from school. Its also heavy AA population and Latino who vote left consistently... WV-PA has completely different demographics and education levels. Older, blue collar, non educated and less diverse...

[LauraC]

A lot of people work for the government. Government employees vote their pay raises.

[westsideboy]

Blue Country, your analysis is pretty much accurate. MD doesn't have large rural areas like VA, WV, and PA that balance out the city/suburb vote. The rural areas of MD are conservative and most are majority Republican. This doesn't matter much in statewide elections since Montgomery, PG, and Baltimore City are so heavily Democratic and populous.

I don't think I would call PA or WV "red" states necessarily. Both states have a mix of both parties in state and national politics. I think Kerry won PA in 2004 and WV was a solid state in the Democrats' pocket in the presidential elections up until this decade.

[Giantone]

This needs to be put in another forum...........



Politics and Other Controversies Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum

[PenguinSix]

MD has two major political bases, Baltimore and the DC suburbs, PG and Montgomery. Baltimore is solidly Democrat. Not even worth discussing. Suburban Baltimore still has a strong 'union' history. Guys might not work for the unions (blue) but their dads sure did. Montgomery suburbs are government workers (lean Blue) or politically active, dual working / upper-middle income (leans Blue-ish), or extreme wealth (few and far between Red). PG has a large number of African Americans (strong blue) and some middle income folks (lean Blue). The rural areas (Southern, Western and Eastern) have a fair number of Republicans, but overall they are swamped by the populations masses.

Virginia, overall, was more of a red state (it is changing in recent years). I know a number of Republicans who would never consider living in MD ('my vote wouldn't count') due to the mass demographics of Baltimore, PG and Montgomery. They moved to NoVa (though it is changing rapidly). I think VA will be in play in 2008.

[vader]

maryland has the highest concentration of black people...Any we all know how THEY vote..

[mufc1878]

pa has been blue the last few elections.

VA is for sure 'in play'. I think nova will help it go blue overall.

[Tom Lennox 70]

The thing about urban areas is true. Urban cities benefit a lot from Democratic policies than middle America or rural areas. It makes sense for hardworking, self-sufficient, independent middle American folks in Kansas and Missouri (or on the Eastern Shore or Southern Maryland) to vote Republicans cause they don't like paying taxes just to subsidize Blue America. But if you are Baltimore or PG County, of course you love all the federal money for Section 8 housing, soup kitchens, welfare, meals on wheels, food stamps. If you are a Salvadoran (the largest group of illegals in Maryland) you would love these things too. And we all know that despite John McCain's lack of toughness, Democrats are usually much MUCh softer on illegals. MD is a sanctuary state and illegals get in-state tuition in College Park thanks to Governor O'Malley.

There's also a lot of yuppie types all over Howard County and Southern Montgomery County. They are rich but they are social liberals. They can't do without gay marriage, abortion, etc etc. Trust me, I work in a pharmacy in Potomac and some women can't even be sexually inactive for one day, demanding their birth control pills ASAP. Parents buy birth control pills for daughters before they go to their elite Northeastern or California colleges....thats how Blue this place is!!!!! A lot of poeple in Montgomery originally came from up North which also factors into things. This is the kind of culture that produced Barack's snobbery toward small town voters and middle Americans in general.