The table below compares the ranking of states by education with the results of the 2008 Presidential election. The premise of the comparison is that states with a better-educated population would be more likely to vote Democratic, being better equipped to see through disinformational attempts by Republicans and the political right wing.

That premise was found to be true.
The states were ranked from 1 to 50 according to scores ranging from +17.58 to -17.8. The scores from the states with a Democratic majority vote were totalled and averaged, as were the scores from the states voting Republican. The Democratic average score was +2.88, with an average 1 to 50 rank of 6.96. The Republican states' scores averaged -3.77, ranking a 13.83 average.

 California is the one state that doesn't seem to fit the pattern. Although its educational system has obviously deteriorated, most likely because of the unwillingness of a majority to fund it adequately, the average education is probably higher than the score would indicate because of migration from other states. California Education Fact Sheet
At one time California's universities were among the best and most affordable, but have since suffered from legislative and administrative neglect.

Best Educated State Index
No doubt the relationship between education and how liberal or conservative a state is, goes both ways, since liberals place a higher value on education and are less likely to restrict funding for it, and more likely to create an environment that encourages their children to develop an interest in learning and ideas.

STATE EDUCATION RATING COMPARED TO 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS










ed. rank state ed score State E.V. Obama McCain margin ed index index tot
avg index
# 46   California: -12.57  California 55 8274473 5011781 3262692 -12.57 -12.57 1 -12.57
# 10   New York: 7.53  New York 31 4804701 2752728 2051973 7.53 -5.04 2 -2.52
# 32   Illinois: -3.07  Illinois 21 3419348 2031179 1388169 -3.07 -8.11 3 -2.70
# 27   Michigan: -1.41  Michigan 17 2872579 2048639 823940 -1.41 -9.52 4 -2.38
# 3   Massachusetts: 14.48  Massachusetts 12 1904097 1108854 795243 14.48 4.96 5 .99
# 19   Maryland: 2.23  Maryland 10 1629467 959862 669605 2.23 7.19 6 1.20
# 11   Pennsylvania: 6.76  Pennsylvania 21 3276363 2655885 620478 6.76 13.95 7 1.99
# 4   New Jersey: 12.55  New Jersey 15 2215422 1613207 602215 12.55 26.50 8 3.31
# 30   Washington: -2.17  Washington 11 1750848 1229216 521632 -2.17 24.33 9 2.70
# 8   Wisconsin: 8.45  Wisconsin 10 1677211 1262393 414818 8.45 32.78 10 3.28
# 2   Connecticut: 15.88  Connecticut 7 997772 629428 368344 15.88 48.66 11 4.42
# 38   Oregon: -7.43  Oregon 7 1037291 738475 298816 -7.43 41.23 12 3.44
# 6   Minnesota: 8.97  Minnesota 10 1573354 1275409 297945 8.97 50.20 13 3.86
# 31   Ohio: -2.73  Ohio 20 2940044 2677820 262224 -2.73 47.47 14 3.39
# 36   Florida: -4.41  Florida 27 4282074 4045624 236450 -4.41 43.06 15 2.87
# 7   Virginia: 8.47  Virginia 13 1959532 1725005 234527 8.47 51.53 16 3.22
# 23   Colorado: -0.32  Colorado 9 1288576 1073589 214987 -0.32 51.21 17 3.01
# 42   Hawaii: -9.67  Hawaii 4 325871 120566 205305 -9.67 41.54 18 2.31
# 14   Iowa: 4.75  Iowa 7 828940 682379 146561 4.75 46.29 19 2.44
# 16   Rhode Island: 3.11  Rhode Island 4 296571 165391 131180 3.11 49.40 20 2.47
# 5   Maine: 9.33  Maine 2* 421923 295273 126650 9.33 58.73 21 2.80
# 48   New Mexico: -13.37  New Mexico 5 472422 346832 125590 13.37 72.10 22 3.28
# 47   Nevada: -13.11  Nevada 5 533736 412827 120909 -13.11 58.99 23 2.56
# 1   Vermont: 17.58  Vermont 3 219262 98974 120288 17.58 76.57 24 3.19
# 25   Delaware: -0.93  Delaware 3 255459 152374 103085 -0.93 75.64 25 3.03
# 15   New Hampshire: 4.59  New Hampshire 4 384826 316534 68292 4.59 80.23 26 3.09 DEMOCRATIC
# 26   Indiana: -1.34  Indiana 11 1374039 1345648 28391 -1.34 78.89 27 2.92 AVERAGE RANK
# 22   North Carolina: 1.68  North Carolina 15 2142651 2128474 14177 1.68 80.57 28 2.88 6.96
# 21   Missouri: 1.93  Missouri 11 1441911 1445814 -3903 1.93 1.93 1 1.93
# 9   Montana: 8.3  Montana 3 231667 242763 -11096 8.30 10.23 2 5.12
# 20   North Dakota: 2.06  North Dakota 3 141278 168601 -27323 2.06 12.29 3 4.10
# 18   South Dakota: 2.29  South Dakota 3 170924 203054 -32130 2.29 14.58 4 3.65
# 44   Alaska: -11.25  Alaska 3 123594 193841 -70247 -11.25 3.33 5 .67
# 17   Wyoming: 2.39  Wyoming 3 82868 164958 -82090 2.39 5.72 6 .95
# 34   West Virginia: -3.77  West Virginia 5 303857 397466 -93609 -3.77 1.95 7 .28
# 12   Nebraska: 6.55  Nebraska 2* 333319 452979 -119660 6.55 8.50 8 1.06
# 28   Idaho: -1.46  Idaho 4 236440 403012 -166572 -1.46 7.04 9 .78
# 49   Mississippi: -14.31  Mississippi 6 554662 724597 -169935 -14.31 -7.27 10 -.73
# 29   South Carolina: -2.15  South Carolina 8 862449 1034896 -172447 -2.15 -9.42 11 -.86
# 13   Kansas: 4.79  Kansas 6 514765 699655 -184890 4.79 -4.63 12 -.39
# 50   Arizona: -17.80 Arizona 10 1034707 1230111 -195404 -17.80 -22.43 13 -1.73
# 40   Georgia: -8.04  Georgia 15 1844123 2048759 -204636 -8.04 -30.47 14 -2.18
# 37   Arkansas: -5.19  Arkansas 6 422310 638017 -215707 -5.19 -35.66 15 -2.38
# 33   Utah: -3.69  Utah 5 327670 596030 -268360 -3.69 -39.35 16 -2.46
# 35   Kentucky: -4.28  Kentucky 8 751985 1048462 -296477 -4.28 -43.63 17 -2.57
# 45   Louisiana: -11.56  Louisiana 9 782989 1148275 -365286 -11.56 -55.19 18 -3.07
# 41   Tennessee: -8.48  Tennessee 11 1087437 1479178 -391741 -8.48 -63.67 19 -3.35
# 43   Alabama: -11.11  Alabama 9 813479 1266546 -453067 -11.11 -74.78 20 -3.74 REPUBLICAN
# 39   Oklahoma: -7.74  Oklahoma 7 502496 960165 -457669 -7.74 -82.52 21 -3.93 AVERAGE RANK
# 24   Texas: -0.44  Texas 34 3528633 4479328 -950695 -0.44 -82.96 22 -3.77 13.83







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U.S. Total 538 69498215 59948240 9549975




The results might have reflected a greater educational difference if they were divided into more categories, such as the margin of win or loss on the Democratic or Republican side. I may compile and post additional tables, which I believe will show the educational relation to politics fairly consistent over time.
--cosmicrat

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