Big cities have faced serious problems lately. But there’s little evidence those problems are what drove voters to the right in November.According to a recent report from The New York Times, big cities in America have been facing significant challenges in recent times. However, there is little evidence to suggest that these problems were the driving force behind the shift towards the right in the November presidential election. This has raised concerns for many of these cities, which are predominantly run by Democratic leaders.
In fact, data shows that voters in the largest urban counties moved towards Donald J. Trump as a group since the 2020 election, with significant shifts seen in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Boston. This shift towards Trump may not just be a reflection of the overall national mood, but also a backlash against the issues plaguing big cities, such as high housing costs, homelessness, and the impact of the pandemic on daily life.
Some Democratic strategists and commentators have suggested that this could be a reverse-coattails effect, where local governance by Democrats is negatively impacting the party’s national image. As Democratic strategist Lis Smith points out, it is difficult for the party to promote itself as the party of good governance when there are visible examples of cities that appear to be poorly managed or in a state of chaos.
However, it is important to note that while urban counties saw the biggest shift towards Trump, this trend was not limited to just these areas. Majority-white counties also showed significant shifts towards the right, while majority-nonwhite areas, including those outside of urban centers, also saw a significant increase in support for Trump.
In terms of specific neighborhoods within cities, data shows that white neighborhoods tended to shift the least towards Trump in most places. This highlights the role of race and diversity in the political landscape of cities.
Overall, the shift towards the right in urban areas raises questions about the impact of local governance on national politics and the role of issues facing big cities in shaping voter attitudes.
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