Michael Barone: The Evolution of the Republican Party Voter

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Noncollege whites provided exactly half the votes cast for John McCain. Barack Obama carried this group in only 15 states with 124 electoral votes, and noncollege whites were more Republican than college whites in all but eight states, including some with union traditions (Michigan, Indiana, Illinois) and others where both groups are overwhelmingly Republican (Texas, Oklahoma, Utah).

There is a considerable overlap between noncollege whites and white evangelical Protestants—they supplied 42% of Mr. McCain's votes in 2008. If conservative stands on cultural issues have repelled affluent suburbanites, particularly unmarried women, they have attracted support from other quarters.