VNV Tuesday: Alabama by the Numbers 12/12/17

December 12, 2017 DoReMI Editors' Choice, It Takes a Village 12

I’ve never been to Alabama.  I have no family in Alabama (although my since-passed aunt and uncle retired there).  To the best of my knowledge, I don’t know anyone in Alabama.  Despite all that, I will be watching the returns come in tonight with bated breath and fingers crossed.  For those who are like me, with zero personal knowledge or experience of Alabama, I’m providing numbers and factoids to fill in some of the gaps.

The basics

Population estimates, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
4,863,300

People
Population

Population estimates, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
4,863,300
Population estimates base, April 1, 2010,  (V2016)
4,780,131
Population, percent change – April 1, 2010 (estimates base) to July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
1.7%
Population, Census, April 1, 2010
4,779,736
Age and Sex

Persons under 5 years, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
6.0%
Persons under 5 years, percent, April 1, 2010
6.4%
Persons under 18 years, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
22.6%
Persons under 18 years, percent, April 1, 2010
23.7%
Persons 65 years and over, percent,  July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
16.1%
Persons 65 years and over, percent, April 1, 2010
13.8%
Female persons, percent,  July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
51.6%
Female persons, percent, April 1, 2010
51.5%
Race and Hispanic Origin

White alone, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)(a)
69.3%
Black or African American alone, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)(a)
26.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)(a)
0.7%
Asian alone, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)(a)
1.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)(a)
0.1%
Two or More Races, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
1.6%
Hispanic or Latino, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)(b)
4.2%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, July 1, 2016,  (V2016)
65.8%
Population Characteristics

Veterans, 2012-2016
351,461
Foreign born persons, percent, 2012-2016
3.4%

(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

 

These excerpts from the 1861 Constitution of Alabama provide interesting historical insights.

ARTICLE I
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
That the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare:
Section 1. That all freemen, when they form a social compact, are equal in rights; and that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive, separate public emoluments or privileges, but in consideration of public services.
Section 2. All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their form of government, in such manner as they may think expedient.
Section 3. No person within this State shall, upon any pretence be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshiping God in the manner most agreeable to his own conscience; nor be compelled to attend any place of worship; nor shall any one ever be obliged to pay any tithes, taxes or other rate, for the building or repairing any place of worship, or for the maintenance of any minister or ministry.
Section 4. No human authority ought, in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience.
Section 5. No person shall be hurt, molested or restrained in his religious profession, sentiments or persuasions, provided he does not disturb others in their religious worship.
Section 6. The civil rights, privileges, or capacities of any citizen, shall in no way be diminished or enlarged, on account of his religious principles.
Section 7. There shall be no establishment of religion by law; no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious sect, society, denomination, or mode of worship; and no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under this State.
(Source: Alabama : Constitution of January 7, 1861)

SLAVERY
Section 1. No slave in this State shall be emancipated by any act done to take effect in this State, or any other country.
Section 2. The humane treatment of slaves shall be secured by law.
Section 3. Laws may be enacted to prohibit the introduction into this State, of slaves who have committed high crimes in other States or territories, and to regulate or prevent the introduction of slaves into this State as merchandise.
Section 4. In the prosecution of slaves for crimes, of a higher grade than petit larceny, the General Assembly shall have no power to deprive them of an impartial trial by a petiti jury.
Section 5. Any person who shall maliciously dismember or deprive a slave of life, shall suffer such punishment as would be inflicted in case the like offense had been committed on a free white person, and on the like proof, except in case of insurrection of such slave.
(Source: Alabama : Constitution of January 7, 1861 )

 

Compare this with an excerpt from Wikipedia; the ahistorical myths still abound.

Some historians had concluded that Alabama seceded to make the institution of slavery permanent, but none of the Confederate States rejoined the Union when offered the Corwin Amendment to make State “domestic institutions” permanent. Therefore historians have debated the real causes of the Civil War, when both the Confederacy and the Union had voted to make slavery permanent in March 1861, such as avoiding the Union’s import tariffs as prohibited in Alabama Ordinance 12,[1] but increased by Lincoln’s proposed Morrill Tariff, passed 2 months after Alabama left the Union.
(Alabama in the American Civil War)

 

Will positions on issues matter?  If they do, this is a great explainer:  Roy Moore, Doug Jones and the issues:  A Voter’s Guide to the Alabama Senate Election  Be sure to read the linked profiles of each candidate within the article; they’re very informative.

The two candidates have sharply different views on health care, the environment, and social issues. Those differences has been overshadowed as Moore has dealt with accusations — most stemming from his time as a prosecutor in Etowah County in the late 1970s and early 1980s — that he pursued relationships with teenaged girls, and engaged in conduct ranging from unwanted attention to assault.  Moore denies the allegations.
The candidates have tried — to varying degrees — to discuss other issues as well. Moore in his public appearances has gone back to the religiously conservative, anti-LGBT message that has defined his political career…
Jones, meanwhile, has emphasized jobs and health care, in particular his support of Medicaid, Medicare and renewal of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In recent days, Jones has amped up his attacks on Moore over the accusations.

Alabama counties won by Hillary Clinton in 2016

Bullock County (pop 10,696; county seat=union springs)

D H. Clinton
75.1%
3,530
R D. Trump
24.2%
1,139
I G. Johnson
0.5%
22
I J. Stein
0.2%
10

Dallas County (pop 41,131; county seat=Selma)

D  H. Clinton
68.5%
12,826
R  D. Trump
30.9%
5,784
I  G. Johnson
0.5%
96
I  J. Stein
0.1%

Greene County (pop 8479; county seat=Eutaw)

D  H. Clinton
82.4%
4,006
R  D. Trump
17.2%
838
I  G. Johnson
0.3%
13
I  J. Stein
0.1%
5

Hale County (pop 15,068; county seat=Greensboro)
D  H. Clinton
59.6%
4,772
R  D. Trump
39.6%
3,172
I  G. Johnson
0.7%
54
I  J. Stein
0.1%
12

Jefferson County (pop 660,367; county seat=Birmingham)

D  H. Clinton
52.2%
151,581
R  D. Trump
45.0%
130,614
I  G. Johnson
2.2%
6,407
I  J. Stein
0.5%
1,509

Lowndes County (pop 10,458; county seat=Hayneville)

D  H. Clinton
73.1%
4,882
R  D. Trump
26.2%
1,751
I  G. Johnson
0.5%
32
I  J. Stein
0.2%
11

Macon County (pop 19,105; county seat=Tuskegee)

D  H. Clinton
82.7%
7,237
R  D. Trump
15.9%
1,394
I  G. Johnson
0.8%
69
I  J. Stein
0.5%
48

Marengo County (pop 22,028; county seat=linden)

D  H. Clinton
51.2%
5,607
R  D. Trump
47.7%
5,224
I  G. Johnson
0.9%
104
I  J. Stein
0.1%
13

Montgomery County (pop 226,519; county seat/state capital=Montgomery)

D  H. Clinton
62.0%
58,669
R  D. Trump
35.9%
33,928
I  G. Johnson
1.6%
1,486
I  J. Stein
0.5%
489

Perry County (pop 9652; county seat=Marion)

D  H. Clinton
72.7%
3,823
R  D. Trump
26.7%
1,403
I  G. Johnson
0.4%
23
I  J. Stein
0.1%
6

Russell County (pop 55,960; county seat=phenix city)

D  H. Clinton
50.0%
9,577
R  D. Trump
48.1%
9,210
I  G. Johnson
1.5%
281
I  J. Stein
0.4%
68

Sumter County (pop 13,103; county seat=Livingston)

D  H. Clinton
74.2%
4,739
R  D. Trump
24.7%
1,581
I  G. Johnson
0.9%
57
I  J. Stein
0.2%
14

Wilcox County (pop 11,059; county seat=Camden)

D  H. Clinton
71.0%
4,329
R  D. Trump
28.5%
1,737
I  G. Johnson
0.4%
22
I  J. Stein
0.1%
7

(Source: Politico.com); population numbers based on 2015 U.S. Census Bureau estimates found through Google searches

Overall 2016 Alabama Presidential Election Results

R Winner D. Trump

62.9%
1,306,925
9
D H. Clinton
34.6%
718,084

I G. Johnson
2.1%
43,869

I J. Stein
0.4%
9,287
(Source:  Politico.com)

Armando says it best for me:

About DoReMI 165 Articles
Now a Michigander, by way of Ohio, Illinois, Scotland, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. Gardener. Sewer. Democrat. Resister.

12 Comments

  1. {{{DoReMI}}} – thanks for the double duty – interesting excerpts from the 1861 AL constitution. Seriously holding the Good Thought on today’s election. Getting a Dem in that seat would seriously help block the Evil – and might even allow for a few bits of Good to slip through. moar {{{HUGS}}}

    • Any of the Confederate constitutions are interesting if you don’t mind a dose of horror with your government. The Alabama one has me particularly curious, because of its emphasis on religion (mostly Christian, natch) combined with the boilerplate nod to separation of church and state. It really doesn’t track by any logical standard, and 1861 was also well before the birth of the Evangelical movement as it’s understood today. I might have to do some digging to find out what influences were carried to AL by the white “settlers.”

      • The idea of using “man” to cover all humanity was a nudge, nudge, wink, wink but the Southerners were taking no chances. “Freeman” to exclude both not-free men and all women made surety doubly sure. As to the emphasis on religious freedom, at the time the Baptists were very grateful for it – most of the “power elite” were Episcopalians (RC-lite as far as the fundies were concerned). The fundies stopped supporting religious freedom when they allied with the anti-government Rs and got a voting block strong enough to no longer have to worry about the “traditional” religions like the Episcopalians and Presbyterians. The RCs and Jews were officially included in the religious freedom rules but were tacitly excluded in practice.

        • Section 3, with its weirdly specific references about tithing and supporting ministry, is the section that has me itching to dig deeper. It’s clearly a shot across the bow directed at some entity, but I’m not sure who…Baptists and Methodists were the predominant denominations in AL at the time, while Catholics and Episcopalians were few and far between. Strange stuff.

          • In countries that have state churches the tithes are collected by the governmental tax collector. Supposedly kept separate and handed over to the church for the support of the ministry – easy to abuse though. But we think – not totally sure – that one of my ancestors was part of a group of Scots Presbyterians who petitioned to emigrate to the “new world” because they were tired of having to pay the tithe/tax to support the ministry of the established church as was the law on top of the support they paid to their own church ministry. Same kind of thing – even if the Baptists and Methodists were the predominant sects at the time, neither would want their tithes going to support the other.

  2. Good morning, Pond Dwellers and thanks for the double duty of delight, DoReMi. I have to say, I don’t know if Doug can pull this off but, either way, I agree with Armando. He’s put the pride back into the Democratic Party. When Jon Ossoff almost won in Georgia, people called it a fluke. If this one is close? It should really scare the republicans. “We are coming into your territories and making you work for your victories”.

    33 this morning with a projected high of 61. Perfect fall weather. Coffee is not a need…it’s a requirement.

    • The more I read about Doug Jones, the more I like. He’s probably too centrist for The Loud Left, but I think his willingness to be open and unapologetic about his liberal positions is courageous and admirable. I had a moment last night where I envisioned him as the AG for a Democratic president…but I’d prefer him in the Senate now.

      • Senate first. Worry about AG – and there are a lot of people out there who’d make good AGs – once we’ve got the WH back. With hopefully a president who pulls from appointed positions under Dem governors for the Cabinet.

  3. Afternoon meese …Thanks Sher…Very informative thread…I take it that the county breakdown wasn’t total ot Hillary would have walked away with a win in AL. Too bad that the people that voted for Thing are too stupid to discern truth from lies. A lot of them are probably still stuck in the AL of before the CRA.

    Holding out hope for Doug…As long as the election is even half ass honest I think he has a chance…Keeping fingers and toes crossed.

    • 67 counties in AL, but I wanted to show the Hillary counties so folks know where we can’t afford to slip (and probably need to gain a bit). Al Giordano has been in touch with Mobile NAACP folks and posted his report on Twitter. It’s a heartening report.

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