CSA

[finehoe]

Conservatism, at least at the state level, appears to be growing stronger. Ironically, this trend is most pronounced in America's least well-off, least educated, most blue collar, most economically hard-hit states. Conservatism, more and more, is the ideology of the economically left behind.  The current economic crisis only appears to have deepened conservatism's hold on America's states. This trend stands in sharp contrast to the Great Depression, when America embraced FDR and the New Deal.

Liberalism, which is stronger in richer, better-educated, more-diverse, and, especially, more prosperous places, is shrinking across the board and has fallen behind conservatism even in its biggest strongholds. This obviously poses big challenges for liberals, the Obama administration, and the Democratic Party moving forward.

But the much bigger, long-term danger is economic rather than political. This ideological state of affairs advantages the policy preferences of poorer, less innovative states over wealthier, more innovative, and productive ones. American politics is increasingly disconnected from its economic engine.  And this deepening political divide has become perhaps the biggest bottleneck on the road to long-run prosperity.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/03/the-conservative-states-of-america/71827/

[BridgeTroll]

  I had NO idea.  Well from now on... Its only liberalism for me an MY family!

Good
Liberalism, which is stronger, richer, better-educated, more-diverse, and, especially, more prosperous.

Bad
Conservatism, America's least well-off, least educated, most blue collar, most economically hard-hit, economically left behind.

[Ocklawaha]

President Monroe a "Democratic-Republican"  before the parties split, wanted to make sure everyone in the America's was entitled to self government.  This was a classic Anti-Federalist view from the last of the founding fathers to rule our country. ( Democratic Republican Party was formerly known as the Anti-Federalist Party) Lets not forget that 150 years ago, it was the Democrats that still carried the torch and believed in allowing states and their citizens "home rule," while the "Grand old Party," under Abe Lincoln, wanted to play international cop and dictate "UNCONDITIONAL" terms to those they crushed...  Ask any Colombian about the "providence" of Panama. Seems to be when Uncle Sam wants a ditch, they take a ditch... all in the name of "self government". Hell we can all self govern... Check that... Um.... Unless you happen to be from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indian Territory, Oklahoma Territory, Arizona or Maryland...

The belief in a strong Federal government, ruling weak states, when it was the states that formed the Federal government makes the states the principal and the government the agent... Federalism sucks.

And Faye thought I was a Republican? My Arkansas/Missouri/Kansas ancestors would rise from the grave and kick my ass. Ah, the old family photo album:

OCKLAWAHA 

[finehoe]

I had NO idea.  Well from now on... Its only liberalism for me an MY family!

Good
Liberalism, which is stronger, richer, better-educated, more-diverse, and, especially, more prosperous.

Bad
Conservatism, America's least well-off, least educated, most blue collar, most economically hard-hit, economically left behind.

You're the one assigning the value judgements, not the author.

We ran a simple correlation analysis on the Gallup poll numbers, comparing conservative identification to a variety of key economic, demographic, and cultural factors by state. As always, our analysis only points to associations between variables; we do not make any claims about causation and note that other factors that we have not looked at might come into play. Still, a number of intriguing findings cropped up.

[BridgeTroll]

  Hilarious...

[Timkin]

[NotNow]

I suppose that I should be surprised that such well educated liberal persons can't seem to see the fallacies of the conclusion drawn in the opinion piece cited.  You DO realize it is an opinion piece, don't you?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

that's like realizing the book that states, "the flowing of the blood of jesus" is an opinion piece.  Written by several different authors.

nevermind, I just realized that jesus's blood must flow in all of us.

I just cut myself.

But it healed itself.

I will conflate at another time.