If you’ve ever seen the movie “Serial”, you’ll get a notion of what the suburbanites mindset is like — and this film was from 1980 (intended as a comedy, it’s more a chilling reminder of where they took a turn for the worst).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081485/
I’ve always surmised that the nuttiest county in CA isn’t San Francisco or Alameda, but Marin (where “Serial” is set). Marin was still voting majority Republican in the ‘70s, but lost their minds shortly afterwards and was already going to the extreme left by 1980 (Reagan won a plurality, but the added liberal votes were a majority).
Take a look at the shift here:
Marin
1968 (50%R 44%D)
1972 (52%R 46%D)
1976 (53%R 43%D) — Last majority vote for GOP President
1980 (46%R 36%D 13% Anderson (RINO)) — Last plurality vote for GOP
1984 (49%R 50%D) — Democrat ever after
1988 (40%R 59%D)
1992 (23%R 58%D 18% Perot)
1996 (28%R 58%D 6% Perot 8% Others)
2000 (28%R 64%D 7% Nader)
2004 (25%R 73%D) — Bush received fewer votes than in 2000
San Francisco County and Alameda both have seen support for the GOP drop by half or more in around 30 years or so. The last time either voted majority GOP for President was in 1956 for Eisenhower. In 48 years, in the case of SF, it went from about 51% (Ike) in 1956 to 15% (Dubya) by 2004. Absolutely jaw-dropping.
Interesting to notice. Marin County is 85% white. For the Bay Area, that's high. I figured the Asian population would be higher (10% in Contra Costa, 5% in Marin). Only 3% Black. Contra Costa is 65% white. It has some nuts, but it's not like Marin. They have a higher minority population, and a city like Richmond may smack some reality into whitey there.
I have not seen “Serial” in years, but remember it as one of Christopher Lee’s finest hours. Martin Mull could’ve been another Albert Brooks were he not from Ohio and better connected in the industry.