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Red fading in Utah
"For the times they are a-changin'."
-- Bob Dylan
"Who's the reddest, baddest state of 'em all?" purred the comfortable Utah Republican
"It isn't Utah anymore!" grinned the hopeful Utah Democrat.
Don't be surprised at all those faded Obama signs still on your neighbors' lawns. Red versus blue now means more than just Utes versus Cougars. This past election season, the Beehive State lost its designation as America's reddest -- 'er Republican --state in presidential preference.
Oh sure, McCain beat Obama by 27 points, but McCain won by a even larger margins -- 32 points -- in Oklahoma and Wyoming.
So, you say, "27 ... 32, what's the difference?"
It's a big difference if you recall 2004, when President Bush trounced Democrat Sen. John Kerry by 45.5 percentage points. A margin reduction of more than 18 percentage points in one presidential election cycle is a clear demographic shift.
And here's the biggest news: On Wednesday, after provisional and absentee ballots were tallied, Obama logged more votes in Salt Lake County than McCain. The final result: Obama, 176,988; McCain, 176,692.
Now, we understand Obama's 296-vote Salt Lake County win is only a tiny step toward a Democrat winning statewide. But you can't spin it any way but as a positive for the party. One reason for the success is that many Salt Lake County Democrats did what their Republican counterparts often do in Davis and other Utah counties -- they voted straight party.
It is significant that the Democratic Party's gains in Utah have come with bigger gains in other Western areas. Democrats became the dominant party in Denver, Las Vegas and Albuquerque. Obama also captured the states where those cities are located-- Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. In 2004, it's recalled, President Bush won those states.
There are many reasons for voters' shifts in the West. There is a growing Hispanic population that sees the GOP as anti-immigrant. Many voters are tired of the Bush administration and its policies. Younger voters' trend is Democrat.
Both parties will adjust to these changes. Republicans are doing a lot of soul-searching. Perhaps some issues -- such as immigration and climate change -- will be re-evaluated. Democrats will work to retain these gains in voters. Utah Democrats may try to carve out a permanent majority in Salt Lake County.
What's certain is that Utah's long-established red-state demographic has faded a little.
Add Your Comment
I'm not surprised that the Redness of the state is getting diluted. A lot of people have moved here from "more progressive" states like California because their own state is going down the tubes. They sell their home for a lot of money and come here to buy nice homes for s lot less money and because the living conditions here are better.
The living conditions here are better because we have a conservative state Govt. and a balanced budget.
But these people move here and bring their "progressive" politics with them and vote accordingly. They foul the nest the are from and flee to a new one (here) and then start to do the same thing they did back "home".
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