A party role reversal? Democrats ascend in prosperous areas

[DeepModem Mom]

WP, pg1: A New Political Geography
Role Reversals in Virginias Reflect National Shifts
By Alec MacGillis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 29, 2008; A01

....The emerging political reversals of the two Virginias are part of a national shift that has been underway for at least a decade and is expected to reveal itself more clearly than ever this November. As the gap grows between places that are prospering and those that are not, Democrats are strengthening their hold in major metropolitan areas, particularly in places faring well in the technology-driven economy.

In 1976, Republican Gerald R. Ford won 10 of the 12 states with the highest per-capita income but lost the election; in 2004, John F. Kerry did the same for the Democrats. The two states won by Republicans? Virginia and Colorado, Obama's top targets, though victory is far from assured, given that vast parts of both remain strongly conservative.

Republicans, meanwhile, are consolidating their hold in rural areas and small cities, while making inroads in struggling Appalachian and Rust Belt regions that were a core of the Democratic base.

The trend generally bodes well for Democrats. Major metro areas are growing faster than the country as a whole, the party's strength with young voters promises a lasting edge, and well-off, highly educated urban voters are valuable campaign contributors in the Internet age. The weak economy and soaring gas prices could accelerate the shift if more Americans move closer to urban hubs in search of good jobs and shorter commutes.

But the Democrats' ascendance in prosperous areas leaves them with weak spots in key swing states such as Ohio. And it presents questions about their identity: The party that fought for the little guy against the party of the wealthy has, while still representing racial minorities, increasingly become defined by the metropolitan middle and upper-middle class....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/28/AR2008062802124_pf.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. I.e. the republican party is the party of poor white bigots....

And their rich puppet-masters.

[skooooo]

2. not just biggotry, but overall ignorance...

uneducated, and without opportunities anyone would be vulnerable to having their emotions and opinions manipulated