Gallup: Idaho 3rd most conservative state in USA (Boise, Pocatello: sales, 2014)

[Sage of Sagle]

Wyoming Residents Most Conservative, D.C. Most Liberal
(poll of 178,000 people in Dec 2013, article released 1/31/2014)

3rd highest percentage of people self-identifying as conservative, behind Wyoming and Mississippi.

2nd lowest percentage of people self-identifying as liberal, behind Wyoming.

Not inviting politically partisan commentary on this thread. Just noting some results as it has bearing on some of our various discussions here on the forum.

The reason I am posting in in the general Idaho forum and not under Idaho News is for the edification of some site visitors and potential posters who seem to want to inquire "Just how conservative is Idaho?" without much searching around first.

The answer would be that Idaho would be the conservative equivalent of what Vermont or Massachusetts is to self-identifying liberals. But as Idaho is essentially three major socio-demographic regions with varying political flavors, it's not nearly this neat-and-tidy a description in reality, and where you move in the state will have much more to do with the political flavor than anything else.

[memomfive]

Thanks Sage for sharing this! Good information!

[volosong]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

...But as Idaho is essentially three major socio-demographic regions with varying political flavors, it's not nearly this neat-and-tidy a description in reality, and where you move in the state will have much more to do with the political flavor than anything else.

What, in your opinion, are the three areas? NID, Boise, Eastern ID??? How do three areas differ, politically? Respectfully submitted.

[notoriouskelly]

Fun info to know

[KurtAngleDoesn'tSuck]

Originally Posted by volosong

What, in your opinion, are the three areas? NID, Boise, Eastern ID??? How do three areas differ, politically? Respectfully submitted.

My opinion wasn't asked for, but I'd like to offer it.
The three universities seem to attract the most "liberal"
people in the state, I.e., Moscow, Boise, and Pocatello.
The reason for that seems self-evident.
[MOD CUT]

Blaine County seems to be the anomaly.
No university, but heavily liberal.
Not having spent much time there,
I cannot explain other than conjecture.
[MOD CUT]

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by volosong

What, in your opinion, are the three areas? NID, Boise, Eastern ID??? How do three areas differ, politically? Respectfully submitted.

I'm being VERY general here, so bear with me...and if other long time Idahoans want to provide insight/correction, please chime in.

NORTHERN IDAHO:

It was more wild-and-wooly, resisted the Mormon influx of southern Idaho, and is more of a live-and-let-live place with a more libertarian conservative bent. It also encompasses several indian reservations that would tend to not be known to vote extremely conservatively. Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint as artsy resort communities have some very liberal artsy people and the city voting blocks are probably only 60/40 conservative (and some polling stations even 50/50), but the county areas overall are 65-75% conservative if not higher. In fact, in many local and regional elections, republicans run unopposed. This is actually a bad thing (single party rule) as it tends to get us the same level of incompetent or corrupt'ish (in my personal opinion) government that San Francisco sees with their single party rule.

Moscow has the university and nearby reservations that affect voting demographics. But then again, you have Boundary County (north of Sandpoint) that is extremely conservative, like Ron Paul country.

Interestingly, the north has a fairly low overall "religious" percentage per capita compared to other rural regions. About that of most major metro areas. Again, I relate it back to northern Idaho's history.

SOUTHERN IDAHO:

Boise (city) is known to have a couple voting areas that are specifically democrat controlled. And being a larger metro area, it will tend to be less generally conservative as a major city. Then again, I would guess that Boise (metro) is one of the most conservative MSA's (metropolitan statistical areas) of its size in the country. McCall is a favorite of the rich Hollywood set, so you know how that would be politically. Ketchum/Sun Valley also is a 65-75% democrat voting block.

SOUTHEAST IDAHO:

This was a heavily LDS/Mormon influenced area. So even while ISU is in Pocatello, I know there is a large LDS presence there that would probably have a very significant mitigating force on how liberal that could be. And Idaho Falls/Rexburg is known to be an extremely conservative family-oriented and generally religious area. Now, by that I'm not imply that everyone is religious. I'm saying that the number of people who would self-identify as religious would be fairly high compared to other areas. But looking at election maps by county, SE Idaho tends to vote more party-line republican consistently.

STATEWIDE:

The state legislature is roughly 82% conservative at this time. Nationally, the 1st congressional district is the western half of the state. It went democrat 2006-2010, but that was a blue dog democrat (Walt Minnick was more conservative than most east coast republicans quite frankly) and he was running against a really unpopular republican, Bill Sali. Minnick was quickly blown out by Raul Labrador in the 2010 sweep. The 2nd district, eastern side of Idaho, is securely red zone.

[grmi66]

Sage - I would say you are pretty spot on in your analysis. In Boise you had one state senate district that voted in a lesbian, liberal democrat but go five miles down the road and it is solidly conservative. My old neighborhood in west Boise voted about 85% for McCain in the 2008 presidential election. One thing that I have to give Boise area democrats respect for is their ability to churn up a get out the vote campaign in certain elections. So while Boise itself is overall fairly conservative, the mayor and city council tends to lean the other way.

[BG79]

As an outsider (until late spring when I become an insider) what baffles me is why the state with such a libertarian bend still has state controlled liquor stores. Even the Peoples Republic of Connecticut allows for independently owned liquor stores and sales of such in Costco.

I am hardly much of a drinker but just the concept of needing to buy from a state monopoly should I need to stock up for a party irks me.

[KurtAngleDoesn'tSuck]

Originally Posted by BG79

As an outsider (until late spring when I become an insider) what baffles me is why the state with such a libertarian bend still has state controlled liquor stores. Even the Peoples Republic of Connecticut allows for independently owned liquor stores and sales of such in Costco.

I am hardly much of a drinker but just the concept of needing to buy from a state monopoly should I need to stock up for a party irks me.

Sort of rubs me the wrong way, too, but, there are a couple of advantages:

1- Liquor is the same price at the same time all over the state.
2- They're not price-gouging us. At least it doesn't seem like it to me.

When I was down in SoCal recently, I compared the price of my favorite booze with what it is here in Idaho, just in case the difference was so dramatic that I should stock up down there. It was about three dollars cheaper for a 1750ml everywhere I checked. Not really that big of a deal.

[northbayeric]

Hopefully I'm not guilty of too much thread drift, but I'd be more concerned about the tax rates on alcoholic beverages than I would about state control of liquor stores--unless it's just over-the-top heavy handed, of course!

Sage, about your characterizations of the different regions of Idaho, would you say that the Silver Valley mirrors the rest of Northern Idaho? I know its relationship with the EPA especially has been decidedly frosty, so I'd think it's moved in a more libertarian direction for that reason. What would you say? In the past it looks like Shoshone County has voted Republican, but not to the degree that the Mormon strongholds around Idaho Falls and Rexburg have.