How does geography mold people?

For instance, why are blue states mostly near the water?

What say you?

imho :)

But I also think it expands your horizons. What's beyond what I can see. A thirst for adventure.

You also tend to have more diversity. People from all nations land in your ports. Many stay, and bring their culture with them.

sitting by the ocean to be a very humbling experience... it sometimes puts things in perspective :)

For obvious transportation reasons.

And biggest cities tend to go more blue.

... is a NASA composite of the earth at night, and if electric light is any indication, most of the world's population lives on coastlines.

We came from water, and we yearn to be near it.

Mass. has so many colleges. The blue states have major cities and major cities have major colleges. Educated people migrate toward these cities to participate in fields that require education. When you have more education you have more Democrats. The repubs deride the whole liberal elitism because it is true. The major cities were formed around water and became population centers but it's the mindset of a city not water that encourages Blue minds.

JMHO of course.

artic or in mountains, bodies can be preserved for thousands of years (like the "Ice Man").

of him, but I miss the weasel :cry:

For transportation and energy reasons, big cities formed near water. In big cities, people are constantly forced to interact with one another, making us more aware of the needs of our fellow man. In areas with lower population density, it is far easier for one to isolate themselves and never really come to understand the real world problems people face.

Quite frankly, it's difficult for people to understand beyond what's right in front of their noses. Unless you've experienced it or witnessed it first hand, you tend to care less about it. This of course is why many rural Republicans care more about taxes (because it affects them) and not as much about poverty and homelessness (because they don't see the problem in the first place).

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia for starters. But people who live directly on the coasts (especially in major ports) do seem more liberal-minded. Places like New Orleans, Savannah, Mobile etc are certainly more liberal than the more rural, inland south.

Part of the reason for ports being more liberal would probably stem from the foreign ships docking. :shrug:

Even in most red states, the blue areas tended to be in the cities and by the water.

Wish I was closer to the water...Three hours is just too far!

the further you get from the water the redder the state becomes (at least I think I saw a map like that after Arnold was voted in). It was the coastal areas that voted against him.

and I may be off base but.....
When we start to discuss the growth of civilization we discuss the fact that the presence of water bodies (rivers, seas, lakes, oceans) is important to the development ADVANCED civilizations. That's so they can farm, travel, trade, transport goods to market bathe, drink, use it as a protective barrier and (much later, of course) create hydroelectricity.

So there you have it! The more advanced civilizations (eg: Blue States) are on the water.

a great deal revolves around trade,... and wherever there is trade, there is a higher rate of cultural exchange :)

They are home to the hardworking, nation-building people, and also home to international, dynamic, mobile and cosmopolitan populations. These are all contributing factors to the left.

The interior is home to farmers, a sedentary and traditional population.

Crude generalisation alert!

It's a huge, formidable country which is sparsely populated. Taming it demanded cooperation and community.

We're also a very urbanized nation. 90% of the population lives within 200 miles of the US border - we're huddled for warmth. lol

BC always feels isolated politically from the rest of the nation. Any coincidence that there's this huge mountain range between us and the rest of the country?