Jared Said:

New Yorkers & New Jerseyans:How come NY & NJ are rarely battleground states in any presidential election?

We Answered:

Good question--and the answer is to be found in the history of the region.

Briefly (very):

>Late 1800s to about 1920--millions of immigrants came to America--mostly through the Northeast, especially NYC. Not surprisingly, a large percentage settled there because of he relatively low-skilled factory work available.
>The Democratic Party was more receptive of and supportive of immigrants. That established a strong base of working class support
>In the 1930s, with the rise of labor unions, the Democrats again supported the more numerous blue-collar population ( by then the descendent's of those immigrants, for the most part). The GOP was strongly anti-union, and that more or less sealed the deal: working class citizens became overwhelmingly Democrat--and still are to an extent.
>Another thread:pror to teh e Civil Rights Movement, large numbers of African Americans left the Suth and settled in the indusrial North. When, in t e1960s, the Democrats forced the "southern wing" to abandon its anti-civil rights and segregationist ideology, blacks began to switch to the Democratic Party in large numbers. As the GOP began to be more conservative and opposed various programs blacks saw as being in their interest, this shift solidified--today black people are overwhelmingly Democrat.
>Final thread. Traditionally, the upper middle class--especially those in ethnic groups (ranging from Irish to Jewish to Italian) tend to be liberal, especially those i n the professions or intellectual careers. That region of the country was for a long time the center of those groups--and still is to an extent. They have formed a highly skilled core of people who "know how to get things done" and thus a leadership core for the "rank-and-file" Democrats.

Hope that helps.

Geraldine Said:

Is the Democratic Party like the Tampa Bay Bucs.... No Leadership?

We Answered:

Maybe the Redskins would be a better comparison, only because they like to spend like crazy with no results and no thought of consequence.

Holly Said:

Does Anyone know who is giving a Democratic Election Party tonight in New Jersey near Paterson?

We Answered:

no

Oscar Said:

Hi, I live in New Jersey and I want to register with the Democratic party? How do I go about this? Thanks. =]?

We Answered:

Either get a form at the DMV, a voter registration form and fill in the bubble with Demicrat next to political party and mail it. Or go online to www.democrats.org and fill the form there and mail it.