The Northeastern Firewall

by Stuart Shapiro

For two decades, Democrats bemoaned the GOP dominance of the south.  Well, the natural corollary of this dominance is now bearing fruit as the Democrats are similarly predominant in the northeast (and the Pacific coast).  EJ Dionne points out that the northeastern dominance may save the House for the Democrats:

A Pew Research Center survey released last week underscored stark regional disparities that could shape the outcome. The survey found that while Democrats trail Republicans by three points among all registered voters in the South, they are ahead of the GOP by nine points in the Northeast.

You often see Republicans complaining about Democratic obsession with Sarah Palin and Christine O’Donnell.  This obsession is strategic.  Just as campaigning against Obama and Pelosi plays well in the south, campaigning against the Tea Party plays well in the northeast.  The Republicans correctly want to nationalize this election, but it cuts two ways and it holds risks for them just as surely as it holds potential rewards.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.