Huh, Interesting

Just did a search on 2008 Presidential campaign donations in my two zip codes.

In my California zip code, there were 298 donors who gave a total of $212,332 to Democratic candidates (in the primaries and general election) and $14,002 to Republican candidates. So far as I can tell, these are all individual donations.

In my New Mexico zip code, there were 23 donors who gave a total of $25,275 to Democrats and $723 to Republican candidates.

Huh. I never would have guessed.

My zip code in California is pretty solid, established, upper middle class, populated by lots of professional-types, including a lot of lawyers, perfessers, doctors, upper level government managers, and -- yes -- lobbyists.

In New Mexico, on the other hand, the area is rural, dominated by ranching, with small to very small towns, and pretty significant levels of unemployment and/or financial struggle.

Yet both donate overwhelmingly to Democratic candidates.

The votes in the counties (which don't correspond to zip codes, but are interesting in their own right) went something like this: in my California county, Barack Obama 58%, McCain 40%; in my New Mexico county, McCain 54%, Obama 44%.

Since I maintain the candidates we're allowed to choose from are merely different shades of the same Corporate color, the outcome is not necessarily all that important -- except on the margins, and the margins are growing in importance as the economy continues to collapse on the working and middle classes.

And the question still remains, why are the masses so passive?