Encouraging enough to me, in light of the fact that Senator Edwards, born in SC and elected in NC, was on the ticket. Certainly the Dems were expecting a closer result.
Just look at the percentage of metro Charlotte Bush pere got in 1988.
The first President Bush took NC in 1988 by 58-42, as compared to his son's 56-44 margins in 2000 and 2004. But in the metro Charlotte area (including the same counties previously referred to), GHWB ran a bit behind his NC numbers, winning the metro area 57-43. What's more interesting is the growth of the total metro Charlotte vote between 1988 and 2004: the major-party total in 1988 was 464,000 votes (GHWB 264,000, Clinton 200,000); by 2004, it had surged by 41%, to 652,000 votes (W 393,000, Kerry 259,000).
But, well, in a generation we both might not be posting on FR for one of us to tell the other I told you so.
I plan to be here. Just because I'm a veteran of the Youth for McKinley movement, don't assume I won't be around a while longer.
I enjoy these discussions. My best wishes to you for a very Merry Christmas.
Here are the numbers for 1988 from the counties you mentioned, from the LEIPS site. Granted, in 1988 some may not have been in your metro list, but then if GOP rural counties disappear from the map as the metro area expands, one sort of ends up in the same place. It's spelled E-R-O-S-I-O-N. You heard it here first.
Gaston 14582 34775 Lijncoln 6444 11651 Catawba 12922 28872 Iredell 10530 21536 Rowan 12127 23192 Cabarrus 10686 22524 Union 8820 17015 Lancaster 6181 9152 York 11458 21657 Mecklenberg 71907 106236 165657 296610 36.11% 63.89% Margin 130953
Oh, I think you maybe mixed up 1988 with 1992, since I see Clinton's name. LOL.