Political geography: What if Appalachia were its own state?

[nic34]

Appalachia is a vast geographic and cultural region in the eastern United States, defined by the 2,000+ mile mountain range running through it. Containing some of the most beautiful wilderness east of the Mississippi, the region is currently divided by nearly a dozen states with just one having a majority of its population in Appalachia thanks to the historical pattern of settlement and transportation realities in the early history of the United States. I wanted to see what impact redrawing the borders by creating one superstate consisting of all the culturally Appalachian regions of those states would have on the new superstate as well as the remaining surrounding states in terms of their political and demographic make up.

This diary, part one of a two part series, will examine the politics past and present of the Appalachian region itself if it were its own state while part two will take a deeper look at the changes its creation would have on the neighboring states including their congressional and downballot elections.A quick summary of presidential elections in the region shows that Appalachia would have been a swingy state from about 1960-1996 when it was relatively close to the national result, but since then has swung hard to the right. Mitt Romney beat Obama in Appalachia by roughly 24%, in part thanks to many conservative Democrats who would have propelled Hillary Clinton to a 32 point win over President Obama in the 2008 presidential primary. The net result however, is that every surrounding state becomes more Democratic, some significantly so. Follow me over the fold to see maps, stats, and more.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/19/1255733/-Political-Geography-What-if-Appalachia-Were-its-Own-State#


For instance, 2008:


http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m542/swolf318/Redistricting%20Maps/Appalachia%20Redistricting/AppalachiaStates2008PresidentOutcomeB_zpsd6f468ed. png

[Private Pickle]

Appalachia is a vast geographic and cultural region in the eastern United States, defined by the 2,000+ mile mountain range running through it. Containing some of the most beautiful wilderness east of the Mississippi, the region is currently divided by nearly a dozen states with just one having a majority of its population in Appalachia thanks to the historical pattern of settlement and transportation realities in the early history of the United States. I wanted to see what impact redrawing the borders by creating one superstate consisting of all the culturally Appalachian regions of those states would have on the new superstate as well as the remaining surrounding states in terms of their political and demographic make up. This diary, part one of a two part series, will examine the politics past and present of the Appalachian region itself if it were its own state while part two will take a deeper look at the changes its creation would have on the neighboring states including their congressional and downballot elections.
A quick summary of presidential elections in the region shows that Appalachia would have been a swingy state from about 1960-1996 when it was relatively close to the national result, but since then has swung hard to the right. Mitt Romney beat Obama in Appalachia by roughly 24%, in part thanks to many conservative Democrats who would have propelled Hillary Clinton to a 32 point win over President Obama in the 2008 presidential primary. The net result however, is that every surrounding state becomes more Democratic, some significantly so. Follow me over the fold to see maps, stats, and more.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/19/1255733/-Political-Geography-What-if-Appalachia-Were-its-Own-State#

Let's see. It would be the 51st State and the butt of late night talk show hosts for 3-6 months.

[PolWatch]

Interesting idea. Some of the area could be a different country.

[nic34]

Would give Texas a run...

[Ethereal]

I like the idea of drawing borders based on shared culture. It's long past time for the rural and urban populations of the US to become politically independent from one another.

[Green Arrow]

I think all states, and the nation as a whole, would benefit from grouping up more around cultural ties.

[iustitia]

The last thing we need is more consolidation of sovereignty.

[Polecat]

West Virginia appears to have been obliterated on the map.

[Peter1469]

Neat article. I wonder if an Appalachia state would work harder to keep mining safe and relevant in the 21st century. I would expect that would be a large part of its economy.

[Polecat]

Neat article. I wonder if an Appalachia state would work harder to keep mining safe and relevant in the 21st century. I would expect that would be a large part of its economy.

Lumber & moonshine are neck and neck.