GET ME REWRITE: In 2016 Hillary Clinton flipped suburban Cobb County in metro Atlanta yet the New York Times chose to publish this egregious, error-filled piece of political reportage in October 2020

 

"All the news that fit to print" when you live by the polls and die by the polls.  And most likely got snookered by Robert Cahaly's 'red wave' fantasy.

In 1984, Cobb County voters chose President Ronald Reagan over challenger Walter Mondale by 54.8 percentage points.  

In 2012, voters chose challenger Mitt Romney over President Barack Obama by 9.4 percentage points.

Then came Donald Trump, whom a significant number of Cobb County voters dislike.. Hillary Clinton flipped the county in 2016, and Biden extended the margin of a Democratic victory.  The Republicans go from a 9.4-point advantage in 2012 to a 14.3 disadvantage.  MAGA is turning demographically diverse Cobb County blue.

3rd-party candidates received 14.9% of vote in 1992, 6.3% of vote in 1996, 6.3% in 2016;

(Alabama segregationist George Wallace received 39.4% of the vote in 1968)

Trump received 12,524 more votes than he did in 2016, a 12% increase, in a county where the 2020 census population of 766,149 is up 11.3% from the 2010 tally.

Biden received 61,726 more votes than Clinton did in 2016, an increase of 39%.

Trump's share of the vote increased by 8 percentage points.  Biden increased Clinton's share of the vote by 39 percentage points.

'

New York Times, 10/21/2023

Recent polling shows that these voters have helped Trump maintain his razor-thin lead over Mr. Biden for Georgia’s suburban vote. Their continued support is critical to the president’s chances in the state, whose 16 electoral votes are essential for his path to re-election and where polling shows the two candidates neck-and-neck overall.

Gwinnett County is located northeast of Atlanta.

White folks are in the minority in Cobb County.

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts

% of population 25 and older with bachelor's degree:

• 49.7% - Cobb County
• 33.6% - Georgia
• 34.3% - U.S.

% of population 65 and older:

• 13.9% - Cobb County
• 15.1% - Georgia
• 17.3% - U.S.

% of population living in poverty:

•   8.0% - Cobb County
• 12.7% - Georgia
• 11.5% - U.S. 

And its comparatively well-educated, younger, and well-off population is growing fast.

Source:  Wikipedia