WTF Is Up With Sioux County, IA?

Can anyone explain to me why it is soooooooo red in a very purple state? I don't get it. They gave Clinton 17%, Gore a whoppping 14%, and then pushed Bush over the top to win IA by giving him 80+ %points. I know that that county is very white, but the whole state is very white.

So what is up in Sioux County? Like I said-- it was Sioux County that delivered IA's EVs to the evildoers this past November. :wtf:

It is a homogeneous community of former Dutch immigrants and their families. They attend the same Dutch Reformed churches which preach on abortion and social issues, not on anti-war or love of other peoples.

However, times are starting to change ... slowly. Hispanic immigration to northwest Iowa will slowly change the demographics if a progressive candidate ever emerges to speak to the community. However, the churches will control the Dutch families. It will be interesting to see what happens as the "Dutch" kids from Sioux County move to the bigger cities in Iowa like Sioux City or Des Moines or to regional cities like Minneapolis or Chicago. When that happens the Hispanic community will gain more and more power. Will the parents be able to keep their kids on the farm? I doubt it.

as a general rule (even though Prostant churchs are making huge strides converting them in central and south America). They tend to be more tradionalist as a whole in their Catholism, so it would overall be a different type of religious dogma, but still heavily leaning towards Republicans if they follow the heirarchy's focus on "social" issues (read mostly "pro-life" and anti-gay marriage) over economic and immigration issues.

Overall, it would just be a mostly different shade of red until the church dogma eventually turns over in the future.

Former Democratic Congressman Berkley Bedell did carry Sioux County in 1976 and 1978.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

The Dutch Reform Church was the primary instigator and supporter of Apartheid in South Africa, convincing Afrikaners that they were surperior to blacks. They are an extremist religious organization, and they have a stranglehold on that corner of the state of Iowa.

Their college (Northwestern College in Orange City) recently honored Bob Vander Plaats as a distinguished alumnus. He is Nussle's main rival for the GOP nomination. What if all the focus against Nussle this early in the campaign leads to Vander Plaats being the GOP nominee? What if he won the governors race? Are you scared yet?

I had to go to her graduation there a couple of years ago. It still gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. I will NEVER go back to that town again as long as I live.

There are a variety of reasons, but they are essentially similar to the reasons that much of the rest of middle/lower class white America is Repub.

Why so many are concentrated in one area may be because of the Dutch Reformed/Calvinist influence in that area. They push their faux morality (lots of pro-lifers) pretty heavily.

I used to live in that area...scarry. :hide:

A friend took a teaching job up there and when they found out she was not Dutch-American, they asked her to leave at the end of her contract.

The good news is that the diverse parts of the state like Polk County and Johnson County are growing faster, so eventually 90% Republican Sioux County will be a conservative oasis.

When Iowa drops to 4 congresspersons in 2010, one will represent Des Moines, one western Iowa, one CR-Iowa City and one the Quad Cities and NE Iowa. Unless we trade Sioux County and Sioux City to South Dakota in exchange for Sioux Falls and a player county to be named later . . . :evilgrin:

Why would we want Sioux Falls for Sioux City? Sioux City is the only area of Western Iowa where Vilsack, Harkin, Gore, and Kerry have won or come close to winning. Sioux City is becoming more and more progressive as time goes on - mostly due to the work of minority advocates. Sioux City is Iowa's most diverse large city and with some representation and leadership it could be a Democratic oasis west of I-235.

I'm just kidding. ;)

We have been waiting for Sioux City to grow and become more progressive since Reagan killed off all of the industry and good jobs in Sioux City (remember the Zenith tv plant?). Maybe we could just move Christopher Rants and his rabid followers across the Missouri River.

He is a moron. He is in a competitive district if we could just get a top candidate. He is such a weasal that he would wimp out of any competitive race.

I can't wait until we have four in congress just to fuck the Western part of the state. It should get us at least one more dem in congress making our delegation 3-3 with the senate. If our fifth republican goes to CA and becomes a Dem, I'm all for it.