Indiana
11 votes
Bush - 21 points
The last time this state voted Democratic....
... Mary Tyler Moore won an Emmy for 'The Dick Van Dyke Show.'
Race
- Overwhelmingly white
- Small African-American population
Bush won 65% of the white vote and Caucasians represent
almost nine-tenths of the population. 'Nuff said.
Age
All groups - Bush
No huge differences here but as elsewhere, the youngest voters
were the least hostile to Kerry. He lost them by only four points.
Economics
Poorest voters - heavily Kerry
Everybody else - Bush
Kerry did win the poorest 6% of the population. But starting with a
narrow victory in the working class Bush took everybody else. For
the most part the higher the income bracket, the higher the vote
for W.
Politics
- Above average partisanship
- Strong Republican tilt
- Poor Democratic loyalty
- Very good Republican loyalty
- Independents tilt slightly Republican
The good news is that the independents in this state don't tilt
heavily Republican - only by about five points. The bad news is
they don't need to. Republicans make up about 46% of the
population, well above the 37% national average. Worse, only
one of every twenty defected to Kerry, an impressive loyalty rate.
With a base like that they don't need much help from Democrats
to cobble together a majority - but they get it anyway. Fifteen
percent of Dems voted for Bush.
Ideology
- Huge conservative tilt
Indiana has three conservatives for every liberal. And they vote
with a better loyalty rate. The sharply divided moderates favor
Kerry by two points, but who cares? This state may be wedged
between Illinois and Ohio, but ideologically it much more
resembles neighboring Kentucky to the south.
Religion
- Heavily Protestant
- Significant Catholic population
Bush took the Protestants by a 2-to-1 margin. He also got the
Catholics by a lesser tally.
Demographics
-  Predominately suburban
- Large rural and urban populations
Bush won all the demographic segments here. Unsurprisingly,
his worst showing was in the urban areas - though he still won.
More surprising was that his best showings were clearly in the
suburbs not the rural areas.

Regionwise, Kerry did best in the areas of northwest Indiana
near the Democratic mecca of Chicago. He also barely
squeaked out a two point victory in Indianapolis. Bush pulled off
big wins everywhere else.
Other factors
No problems with the war here. Fifty-six percent approve of it. An
even larger group 61% approve of Bush.


The Land of the Blue
Where centrism and progressivism meet