Geology and Election 2000
Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences,University
of Wisconsin - Green Bay
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Presidential Election Returns
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At left for reference is a simplified geologic map of the Deep South, with Cretaceous units in green. |
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For reference, the 2000 election returns are at left. Note the heavy preponderance of Democratic counties along the Cretaceous outcrop band from Mississippi through Georgia. |
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In the 1960 election, Democratic votes in Alabama and
Mississippi went, in the Electoral College, to Harry Byrd rather than John
F. Kennedy.
The band is not visible. |
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In the highly partisan election of 1964 the
arc is not visible at all.
This is the election that marked the end of the old Democratic South and the start of the modern Republican southern vote. Republican Barry Goldwater opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a stance that won approval in the South. |
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In 1968, much of the South went for George Wallace,
running as an independent. The arc shows up plainly in Alabama as a band
of low support for Wallace, and can be seen in somewhat less obvious form
in Georgia and Mississippi as well.
For the first time, the band is visible, because the Voting Rights Act made it possible for many black voters to vote for the first time. |
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In the highly partisan election of 1972, the Alabama portion of the arc stands out as one of the few Democratic areas. |
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In 1976, Georgia governor Jimmy Carter took the South and the band was swallowed up by the overall Democratic sweep. Note the landslide in Georgia, Carter's home state. |
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In 1980, Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Reagan but was still popular enough to carry much of the South. The band mostly disappears in the general Democratic vote. |
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In 1984, the Alabama-Georgia portion of the arc is very clear. |
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In 1988, the results are a near duplicate of 1984. |
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In 1992, southerner Bill Clinton defeats George Bush. The arc shows up plainly. |
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1996 results closely duplicate those of 1992, but are more partisan. |
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Created 23 January 2002, Last Update 14 December 2009
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