DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN
08.09.08
Purple politics is out the window until November, it’s blue or red, Democrat or Republican, Obama or McCain. I don’t like it this way, but if you have to choose a side, let’s look at the facts.
On March 9th, 1832 in New Salem, Illinois Abraham Lincoln said, “Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.” He was only 23 and beginning his political career as he campaigned against 13 other candidates for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly. Later, Lincoln would become one of the most revered presidents of this great country. A man of faith and a man of education, Lincoln as well as other presidents and leaders have proven education is required to lead a country, evidence that resides with monuments and named institutions decades after their service to this nation. To lend empirical evidence to this argument of the importance of education, let us look at educated U.S. cities and their history of political participation in elections. I am going to match up Forbes Magazine’s smartest cities (Dec ‘06) with voting results from the 2004 presidential race.
Number one on Forbes list is Boulder, CO. With a population of over 282,200, 52.9% of the citizens hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The crime rate is low, there is an award winning state run university, and according to CNN Money, the median family income is $76,043, one of the highest in the country. So let us look at how the county of Boulder voted in the last presidential election: Bush received 49,534 votes as Kerry received 101,990 votes. The Democratic Party’s nominee received more than double that of the Republican Party’s candidate. Seems like Boulder knows how to elect local government officials successfully, so I would closely look at their voting history on national issues.
Moving beyond Boulder and Colorado and examine some other U.S. cities. Another city on Forbes top ten is Ann Arbor, in Washtenaw County in the state of Michigan. Another place with a government funded institution and highly educated population. The voting results for the 2004 Presidential election saw 61, 425 votes for Bush and 109,872 votes for Kerry. Again, a smart city and overwhelming support for the Democratic Party’s candidate.
How about Bethesda in Montgomery County in Maryland. Bush received 123,472 votes and Kerry received 244,211 votes. Bethesda is second on Forbes list of smartest American cities. San Francisco saw Bush receive 41,157 votes and Kerry 222,013. That’s a landslide. They also have landslides there due to rains from global warming, not recognized by the Republican Party. But, what about the small town folks, the simple citizens of this country. Bridgeport in Connecticut gave Bush 10,326 votes and Kerry 26,280. Again, more than double the support for the Democratic nominee from a small New England town.
So, let us put a simple equation together, one that requires only common sense. There is not much controversy over these cities being the smartest cities (defined by the number of degrees). The voting records for the counties holding these cities are publicly accessible. So, if smart people make up smart towns and cities, and the success of their local governments, economies, and institutions reflect their voting records - I would put a lot of credibility in the national voting record. Need a side? Go Democrat, it is educated.
Tags: Bush, Democtrats, Kerry, Lincoln, McCain, obama, Republicans, vote
Category: Politics
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Matt Moore aka 
The Rake 
Kate's 
Felt Beard!!! by 
You’ll find high percentages of Democratic votes in some very poor and uneducated places, and high Republican majorities in some educated places as well. It’s somewhat pretentious to presume that educated people = Democrats. More accurately, I think educated people are more likely to understand the undertones of inequality between the parties. When I hear the Republicans speak all I’m hearing is “Lets protect white Christian America, and fuck everyone else.” The party of patriotism, Jesus, Lincoln and MLK has brainwashed everyone into thinking that this country was founded on Christianity (it wasn’t) and they’re entitled to let the poorest, brownest and most “godless” Americans drown in their twisted philosophy. Some patriotism.
How else could you have a party that considers public education “fat” to be trimmed and privatized? We’ll take care of OUR schools, and let the poorest and least educated fend for themselves. The Republican platform preys upon uneducated religious fervor to bolster their political power, while enacting policies that screw those very people out of the kind of social services that make more intelligent countries happy to pay their taxes. Were they better educated, or valued education more this couldn’t and wouldn’t happen.
I tend to consider the GOP to be the party of the uneducated and the unethical. It’s the inherent moral dilemma of being the party of God, war, corporate greed, misinformation and division that brings me here. How people can’t see this, I will never know. All they have to do is change the face and use different buzzwords and people line up to get fucked again.
September 8, 4:02 pm Josh HollandI don’t have anything to say… The only thing I will say is that if our country has to go through another 4+ years of Republican traditionalist nonsense I’m moving my ass out. I’ll take my education and ambition to a place that appreciates it.
September 8, 6:08 pm Lifter BaronLincoln was killed in 1865…
September 9, 3:02 pm eraserhead