I just read an excellent analysis by Yet another John over at Wizbang. It's a very analytical, mathematical analysis of the electoral college and the 2008 presidential election. I find the reference (just one) to NC as interesting.

North Carolina is listed as one of seven states the Republicans need to win (TX, FL, OH, NC, GA, VA, any one of MO, TN, or IN) to ensure victory in 2008. That's pretty reliable, considering past presidential election results for NC:
2004: Bush (R) - 56%; Kerry (D) - 44%
2000: Bush (R) - 56%; Gore (D) - 43%
1996: Dole (R) - 48%; Clinton (D) - 44%; Perot (Looney) - 7%
1992: Bush (R) - 43%; Clinton (D) - 42%; Perot (L) - 14%
1988: Bush (R) - 58%; Dukakis (D) - 42%
1984: Reagan (R) - 62%; Mondale (D) - 38%
1980: Reagan (R) - 49%; Carter (D) - 47%; Anderson (I) - 3%
1976: Carter (D) - 55%; Ford (R) - 44%
1972: Nixon (R) - 69%; McGovern (D) - 29%; Schmitz (American) - 2%
1968: Nixon (R) - 40%; Wallace (A) - 31%; Humphrey (D) - 29%
1964: Johnson (D) - 56%; Goldwater (R) - 43%

Now I know today's political parties have very little in common with some of those folks above, but it really does point out that North Carolina is pretty reliable to vote Republican for president -- 9 out of the last 10 times, and the last 7 consecutive times.

What's even more interesting is that the Republican Party has NEVER had a majority in the North Carolina Senate. How is it that the Democrats have retained control over so many years, with so many people voting Republican? Gerrymandering.

The Democrats get to draw the lines to determine which districts will select which Senators. They draw very large Republican districts, and a larger number of smaller Democrat-majority districts. And unfortunately, that's legal. Sure, it's immoral and wrong, but that doesn't matter when Democrats get to retain power -- at least not to Democrats.

So, to Wizbang's suggestion that those in states not competitive in 2008 (NC) "you may want to turn your energies to building the local republican party."

That's not going to make much difference here -- unless you can actually convert and convince registered Democrats to vote against their handouts from their party. Well, we're not allowed to shoot them, so that's the only hope for North Carolina -- actually convert Democrats and welcome them to the real world and Republican politics.

I wonder -- should I stop calling them idiots to convert them?

Posted by: Ogre at 10:07 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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