Free Republic

The new political divide is a stark division between cities and what remains of the countryside. Not just some cities and some rural areas, either -- virtually every major city (100,000-plus population) in the United States of America has a different outlook from the less populous areas that are closest to it. The difference is no longer about where people live, it's about how people live: in spread-out, open, low-density privacy -- or amid rough-and-tumble, in-your-face population density and diverse communities that enforce a lower-common denominator of tolerance among inhabitants. The only major cities that voted Republican in the 2012...

The dust may still be settling on the 2012 election, but there is good reason for conservatives to find optimism for the future. Recently, I found such hope reviewing the full exit poll data from our recent election. The bottom line on the presidential race was this: Mitt Romney lost the election because voters liked him less than Barack Obama. Despite claims otherwise, the election was not a referendum on Obama’s record or even red state values versus blue state values. Obama and the Democrats have claimed a “mandate,” but the data shows voters actually oppose President Obama’s programs like...

CNN's Gary Tuchman heads to King County, Texas, where President Obama won only five votes. Video at link.

Most of us are, by now, familiar with the maps the TV channels and web sites use to show the results of presidential elections. Here is a typical map of the results of the 2012 election:

Republican Mitt Romney leads Democrat Barack Obama in the race for president in Tennessee, bolstered at least partly by the support Romney has gained among Tennessee's white evangelical voters since last spring's primary. A solid 59 percent of the state's registered, likely voters say they support Romney. Just 34 percent say they support Obama. About 6 percent are undecided, and the remaining 1 percent say they support "someone else." Romney enjoys his broadest support among the self-described white evangelical Christians who make up nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of the state's likely voters. Among Tennesseans in this group, Romney leads Obama...

For the third consecutive year, Area Development magazine’s editors have conducted a survey of a select group of highly respected location consultants who work with a nationwide client base. We asked the consultants to name their top-5 state choices in 14 site selection categories. States were ranked in each of the 14 categories based on the number of times they were named as a "top-5" choice by the responding consultants. According to the results, the top-10 states for doing business are Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Indiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, in that order... The top-five states...

Even more encouraging than the new Gallup numbers, I think, and circumstantial evidence that maybe Major Garrett was right yesterday about Team O preparing to pull back from some swing states. The catch with Gallup's tracker is that it's the only national pollster showing anything close to a seven-point lead right now; doesn't mean they're wrong, but allegedly even GOP pollsters aren't picking up a lead like that in their internal numbers. To get a better sense of Romney's surge, says election guru Sean Trende, follow the (campaign) money: "Simply put, if Romney were up 7, he'd be advertising in...

What's the fiercest rivalry in American politics today? There's Obama-Romney, of course, but try O'Malley-McDonnell—neighboring governors battling across the Potomac River over how best to resuscitate a moribund economy. Martin O'Malley, Maryland's liberal Democratic governor, is competing for jobs, businesses and tax dollars with Bob McDonnell, Virginia's conservative Republican chief executive. Both are rising stars considered potential presidential hopefuls in 2016. Both are Irish Catholics—Mr. McDonnell playfully calls Mr. O'Malley "the big Irishman to our north"—and each leads his party's association of governors. The two regularly spar on the Sunday talk shows, on the pages of Washington-area newspapers, and over...

Pipe manufacturer TMK IPSCO will move its corporate headquarters from Illinois to Houston to increase its exposure to the oil and natural gas market, the company has announced. Currently based in Downers Grove, Ill., TMK IPSCO said it will move most of its headquarters offices to the company’s new research and development center on Houston’s northwest side. The company expects to complete the Houston move by the summer of 2013 and build a new headquarters in the city within the next two years. “Houston is the hub of the global oil and gas industry. It’s important for the company to...

In 2010, influenced by the Tea Party and its focus on fiscal issues, 17 states elected Republican governors. And, according to an Examiner.com analysis, every one of those states saw a drop in their unemployment rates since January of 2011. Furthermore, the average drop in the unemployment rate in these states was 1.35%, compared to the national decline of .9%, which means, according to the analysis, that the job market in these Republican states is improving 50% faster than the national rate.

By The states that voted to put Barack Obama in office are suffering for supporting him. A recently releast Investor’s Business Daily report provides some telling data derived from comparing economic conditions in the so-called Blue States (those who voted for Obama) with those in the Red States that voted for John McCain. Income growth in Blue States trails per capita income growth in Red States by about .07%. Job growth which has been slow nationwide has Blue States lagging by .08%. Home prices in Red States actually climbed slightly by .03% but Blue State home prices dropped about 3.8%....

...Take a map of the United States and three crayons. Color the states Mitt Romney has won so far in red. Color the states Rick Santorum has won in blue. Color the states Newt Gingrich has won in green. Then look at the results. ....Romney's states replicate almost exactly the states Barack Obama won four years ago. Almost all of Santorum's states line up with the states John McCain took. Gingrich's two states also went for McCain. That leads us to these twin conclusions: Romney is weak where the Republicans are strong and strong where the Republicans are weak. Santorum...

GREENVILLE, S.C. – In the geographic heart of the Republican Party, the contest for the allegiance of Southern conservatives in the 2012 race is as wide open as ever. Of all the prizes still up for grabs in the GOP presidential primary, few are as desirable as the support of the South. Republican presidential nominations have traditionally been forged here – in South Carolina, especially – and any successful challenger to Mitt Romney would likely have to dominate among heavily conservative, evangelical Southern voters. Yet the only candidate this cycle who seemed to have a shot at locking down the...

How well run are America’s 50 states? The answer depends a lot on where you live. For the second year, 24/7 Wall St. has reviewed data on financial health, standard of living and government services by state to determine how well each state is managed. Based on this data, 24/7 Wall St. ranked the 50 states from the best to worst run. The best-run state is Wyoming. The worst-run state is California. Comparing the 50 states can be a challenge because they are so different. Some states have abundant natural resources while others rely on service or innovation. State populations...

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is holding little back as he compares his state’s model for success to Washington’s big government corporate socialism and big labor cronyism. In a recent letter, Gov. McDonnell writes, “we are unapologetic supporters of Virginia’s Right To Work laws.” But, McDonnell doesn’t stop there. He pulls no punches when he compares Richmond to Washington, DC and boasts about Virginia’s success. From Gov. McDonnell’s letter: There’s much more separating Richmond and Washington than just 100 miles of interstate. It’s a Tale of Two Cities.

America is an increasingly conservative nation, by ideology and by political affiliation, according to polling results from the Gallup Organization. While conservatives have long outnumbered liberals and moderates across the U.S., the study sheds new light on state-by-state patterns. The map below shows the pattern for the 50 states. Mississippi is the first state with more than 50% conservative identification, with Idaho, Alabama, Wyoming, and Utah approaching that level, and Arkansas, South Carolina, North Dakota, Louisiana, and South Dakota (the rest of the top ten conservative states) 45% or higher. Conservatives outnumber liberals in even the most liberal-leaning states (excluding...

From the states that he won in 2008, Democratic operatives believe that President Obama will have the most difficulty carrying Indiana again when he runs for reelection, according to a special National Journal Political Insiders Poll released on Tuesday. Choosing from a list of 10 swing states that he won in 2008, Democratic Political Insiders were asked to rank the top five states one-thru-five that would be the hardest for Obama to carry in 2012. Indiana was the clear consensus pick of the Democratic Insiders for where the president’s reelection campaign is likely to encounter the most difficulty—nearly two thirds...

Sarah Palin's big problems among the GOP faithful are on clear display in a new poll that shows large numbers of Republicans aren’t sure about her and the tea party darling trails President Barack Obama in a head-to-head matchup in Tennessee — even with the president's job approval numbers running low in the state. The poll in the solidly red state where she and McCain crushed Obama by 15 points two years ago is a warning bell that Palin, despite her following and appeal to conservatives, remains fairly radioactive to some Republican voters, who are far from convinced she can...

Yes, more and more of the American population now lives in red states, and that will benefit the GOP in Congress and Presidential elections. But while the map is getting redder, the red states themselves may are getting bluer, especially Texas, which was the huge winner with a net pickup of 4 seats. This chart is from the state of Texas. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where the population growth has come from, and where it's going (hint: the growth is not coming from the GOP Anglo base). Note that if we're just talking white population, Texas...

National politicians have been served notice that the American people have finally awakened. Dissatisfaction with government is palpable. It showed in the election, in polls, and in voting patterns. Ron Fourier summarized recent polling: More than 70 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.Almost as many believe the nation faces a "leadership crisis."Three quarters of voters disapprove of Congress, a near record low.Nearly 6 out of every 10 voters are more willing to take a chance this year on a candidate with little political experience.More than a quarter of voters are willing to back a candidate...