The hoax famously equating “blue” states with intelligence got me interested in this, and my spoof of it noting the “Bojangles effect” was my first stab (although that was to illustrate a problem with the hoax), but here’s one I think might be worth discussion. I compared the Pacific Research Institute’s ranking of states according to economic freedom (No. 1 = most free) with which candidate for president received the majority support in each. Here are my results:
1 Kansas ? Bush
2 Colorado ? Bush
3 Virginia ? Bush
4 Idaho ? Bush
5 Utah ? Bush
6 Oklahoma ? Bush
7 New Hampshire ? Kerry
8 Delaware ? Kerry
9 Wyoming ? Bush
10 Missouri ? Bush
11 Arizona ? Bush
12 Nevada ? Bush
13 South Carolina ? Bush
14 Indiana ? Bush
15 South Dakota ? Bush
16 Iowa ? Bush
17 Texas ? Bush
18 North Dakota ? Bush
19 Georgia ? Bush
20 Nebraska ? Bush
21 Montana ? Bush
22 Florida ? Bush
23 Arkansas ? Bush
24 North Carolina ? Bush
25 Alabama ? Bush
26 Tennessee ? Bush
27 Maryland ? Kerry
28 Mississippi ? Bush
29 Oregon ? Kerry
30 Maine ? Kerry
31 Washington ? Kerry
32 West Virginia ? Bush
33 Alaska ? Bush
34 Michigan ? Kerry
35 Hawaii ? Kerry
36 Vermont ? Kerry
37 New Mexico ? Bush
38 Wisconsin ? Kerry
39 Kentucky ? Bush
40 Louisiana ? Bush
41 Massachusetts ? Kerry
42 New Jersey ? Kerry
43 Ohio ? Bush
44 Minnesota ? Kerry
45 Pennsylvania ? Kerry
46 Illinois ? Kerry
47 Rhode Island ? Kerry
48 Connecticut ? Kerry
49 California ? Kerry
50 New York ? Kerry
