Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Delaware Results: A Slight Bit of Analysis for...
...those folks unfamiliar with the way our dinky (and I mean that in a positive way...the degree of separation in Delaware rarely exceeds 2 people) state works.
Here's how the final numbers shook out,
Total votes cast: 305,076 which represents about a 48% turnout rate.
US Senate Race:
Democrat Chris Coons won with 172,590 votes or 56.6%
Republican/Tea Party Christine O'Donnell trailed with 122,237 votes or 40%.
There are three counties in Delaware. The northern county, New Castle, borders New Jersey (the state that gave us O'Donnell) and Pennsylvania. The middle county, Kent, and the southern county, Sussex, border Maryland. Total votes cast in each county and for the 2 major candidates were:
Total Votes Cast Coons O'Donnell
New Castle 184,755 122,259 56,833
71% 31%
Kent 49,437 22,312 25,059
45% 51%
Sussex 70,844 28,019 40,345
40% 57%
So...you get the idea. Up in the northern part of the state, heavy Coons support. As you slip or drive south, Coons loses support and O'Donnell gains. In my district, Coons received 89% of the votes cast while O'Donnell received less than 9%.
In the southern-most district in Delaware, District #38, where O'Donnell received the most votes, 6,752, of any other district that had votes for her, she carried with 58% of total votes cast.
A canal splits Delaware in two. The C & D Canal served as the dividing point for political party favorites for a long time in Delaware. Above the canal, mainly Democratic. Below the canal, mainly Republican. With folks from other states, retirees (mostly) from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, that distinction has changed over the years. In this election, 6 districts of the 17 districts below the canal ended up favoring Coons. This creeping Democratic party tendency is starting to worry folks here in the First State as it is a major, albeit a slow, change to the way things have always been.
But then again, what with the effect of the Tea Party in this year's national elections, change is certainly not just a Delaware phenomenon. Was it just a lot of noise? In Delaware, it seems so as both Tea Party candidates of national office lost, both by at least 17%. Otrher states were not so lucky. The next year or so will not be boring.
A tip of the hat to WP for inspiring this post as he commented, with apprehensive surprise, here as regards O'Donnell's grab of 40% of Delaware's votes cast. I'm hoping that by looking at the numbers and the distribution of the numbers a better understanding of how the 40% came about could be had.
Here's how the final numbers shook out,
Total votes cast: 305,076 which represents about a 48% turnout rate.
US Senate Race:
Democrat Chris Coons won with 172,590 votes or 56.6%
Republican/Tea Party Christine O'Donnell trailed with 122,237 votes or 40%.
There are three counties in Delaware. The northern county, New Castle, borders New Jersey (the state that gave us O'Donnell) and Pennsylvania. The middle county, Kent, and the southern county, Sussex, border Maryland. Total votes cast in each county and for the 2 major candidates were:
Total Votes Cast Coons O'Donnell
New Castle 184,755 122,259 56,833
71% 31%
Kent 49,437 22,312 25,059
45% 51%
Sussex 70,844 28,019 40,345
40% 57%
So...you get the idea. Up in the northern part of the state, heavy Coons support. As you slip or drive south, Coons loses support and O'Donnell gains. In my district, Coons received 89% of the votes cast while O'Donnell received less than 9%.
In the southern-most district in Delaware, District #38, where O'Donnell received the most votes, 6,752, of any other district that had votes for her, she carried with 58% of total votes cast.
A canal splits Delaware in two. The C & D Canal served as the dividing point for political party favorites for a long time in Delaware. Above the canal, mainly Democratic. Below the canal, mainly Republican. With folks from other states, retirees (mostly) from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, that distinction has changed over the years. In this election, 6 districts of the 17 districts below the canal ended up favoring Coons. This creeping Democratic party tendency is starting to worry folks here in the First State as it is a major, albeit a slow, change to the way things have always been.
But then again, what with the effect of the Tea Party in this year's national elections, change is certainly not just a Delaware phenomenon. Was it just a lot of noise? In Delaware, it seems so as both Tea Party candidates of national office lost, both by at least 17%. Otrher states were not so lucky. The next year or so will not be boring.
A tip of the hat to WP for inspiring this post as he commented, with apprehensive surprise, here as regards O'Donnell's grab of 40% of Delaware's votes cast. I'm hoping that by looking at the numbers and the distribution of the numbers a better understanding of how the 40% came about could be had.
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?
Comments:
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Well, that calms me down ... somewhat. I still have to scratch my head and wonder just what has to be said to be properly heard. Why do the words "Tea Party" give someone as flaky as O'Donnell a free pass into the "hearts & minds" of so many voters?
Having now been fully indoctrinated into the Rational Being Philosophy prosletized @ the Rally for Sanity And/Or Fear, I can not come up with any rational answer as to why normally sentient acquaintances voted based on the "throw the bums out" methodology, especially in the situation that the "bums" running were not "in" to be thrown out.
Speaking from the spirit of Equity, I hope the American voters show as much (im)patience with the bums now voted in. Let's see if these fine individuals can turn things around in the 2 years they've been allotted...
...or be ready for the excuses that will be spun out when the same gridlock occurs as regards the morass we're in.
If there's one word to codify the 2000's, I believe it's Impatience. The Hurry to Wait attitude will be giving us all heartburn or heart attacks....
Speaking from the spirit of Equity, I hope the American voters show as much (im)patience with the bums now voted in. Let's see if these fine individuals can turn things around in the 2 years they've been allotted...
...or be ready for the excuses that will be spun out when the same gridlock occurs as regards the morass we're in.
If there's one word to codify the 2000's, I believe it's Impatience. The Hurry to Wait attitude will be giving us all heartburn or heart attacks....
"Impatience" is probably the right word, and it could just as easily be applied to me: I'm almost ready to say, "Go ahead, get it out of your system and vote Ron Paul president. By now we should be able to endure just about anything that happens in four short years." But then I think back to eight years of Bush Jr. -- something I don't seem to have any trouble recollecting, but which many others apparently have lost all grasp of. Paul's dogma, if ever applied to the degree he'd like, would have a ruinous effect on millions of lives for a long, long time. So, no: "Patience" is instead the watch-word for me.
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