Reply #18: I live in the bay area and I am not surprised by this, I was surprised [View All]

[caligirl]

to see 44% of the stste support Bush. As housing costs have soared here, my house has tripled in value since 1995, <1550 sq ft 3/2 with highly sought after schools among the top 10 in the state and houses here start at 700,000,the silicon valley downturn didn't effect the prices> more people are forced out to the valley, as people move here from out of state they don't have the funds for these prices so they too are choosing the valley over the coastal areas. We have seen huge growth east of Livermore(a republican dominated area east of Oakland.) Tracy and Modesto,basically the valley from Sacramento south, lots of housing has been built in the past few years. If you can't take home about 72,000 a year you can't afford to live here. When we moved in in 1989-90 it was 56,000 needed to make ends meet.
But when I saw Alameda County results for President I was surprised and concerned to see a larger vote for Bush in this county which includes Livermore and several other communities that vote Republican, Pleasanton, San Ramon as well. But they have never been as strongly republican, or so I thought, as the votes show. Bush won many precincts in those areas.