No West Virginia

[Deleted]

Suppose Virginia and West Virginia don't split. 

A united Virginia would've voted for Carter in 1976 and Clinton in 1992 and 1996 and would've voted for Trump by 88,000 votes in 2016 also. 


Romney would've won a united Virginia by 30,000 votes in 2012. In 2008. Obama would've won it by 130,000 votes.

[beastofbedfordshire]

There would still be a 50th state because it's such a nice round number, DC or PR (I know this isn't what you asked but eh).

[sirbenjamin]

From the bits I've seen, VA and WV are completely different places. Even close to the border there is a noticeable difference. WV is a lot poorer, far more dilapidated, everything seems a generation older. In some ways it's like comparing North to South Yorkshire - though this divide is becoming less obvious.

I wonder if there had been no split, if the two halves of Virginia would still be so distinct, or if the place would've evolved in a more homogenic way?

[jamie]

WV is actually remarkably similar to western Virginia (the bit west of the Blue Ridge Mountains). Both are very Republican at the presidential level. If anything, WV is actually more Democratic as it has much more Democratic support at the state level (at least for the time being). That said, western Virginia does at least have some actual Democrats in it in Roanoke, Blacksburg, Harrisonburg and Winchester but they are overwhelmed by the rural areas. Western Virginia is certainly more like WV than the rest of Virginia considering its politics, coal mining history, and almost completely white population. The mountains act as a barrier between Appalachia and the 'proper' south. It's notable that there are significant black populations east of the mountains but none west.

[jamie]

Hard to say what would have happened politically. I think Democrats would do better in the major metropolitan areas of WV like Charleston and Morgantown. However, the big question is what would have happened to Democratic support in the rural areas. Would the WV influence have made Democrats become more broad church and do better in rural Virginia (particular the western side) or would the concentration of Democratic support in the east of the state mean that the downballot Democratic support in WV would look more like that in western Virginia?

[neilm]

Sept 9, 2018 20:07:43 GMT beastofbedfordshire said:

There would still be a 50th state because it's such a nice round number, DC or PR (I know this isn't what you asked but eh).

Displaying my ignorance here, but which putative state is PR?

[goose]

Sept 10, 2018 17:40:01 GMT neilm said:

Sept 9, 2018 20:07:43 GMT beastofbedfordshire said:

There would still be a 50th state because it's such a nice round number, DC or PR (I know this isn't what you asked but eh).

Displaying my ignorance here, but which putative state is PR?

Puerto Rico.

[neilm]

Sept 10, 2018 18:17:54 GMT goose said:

Sept 10, 2018 17:40:01 GMT neilm said:

Displaying my ignorance here, but which putative state is PR?

Puerto Rico.

That's what I thought but then I don't think it would have been granted statehood, too many reasons not too.

[froome]

Well, once storm Florence has done its worst, you may find that Virginia needs to get back together with its western cousin just to make it a viable state.

[right]

Would Kennedy have shaken off the idea that rednecks would never vote for a Catholic soon enough if there was no West Virginia primary?

Would the Virginia have sued for a separate peace in the Civil War if they had a union friendly western section creating trouble?

[seanf]

It's fascinating how solidly left wing WV has become one of the most right wing States in just a generation.

It's quite different from Southern conservative Democrats realising that in fact, they're Republicans.