Oh it is. Simon Cowell said a few weeks ago that AI has always been a "Red State show" particularly to those states in the South East and South West. He also pointing out that all the winners (and maybe all the runner-ups) are from Red States.
No wonder those Blue State snobs sneer at the show.
It makes me wonder if Mario Vazquez would have been boosted even more, had he been able to stay, if he were thought of as the favorite son of New York. A lot of votes from there could help offset the Bush state voters.