Myth Of Oakland County Michigan
For too long, I have argued with individuals that have never been in Michigan that Oakland County is trending Democrat and that in time it will no longer be a Republican County.
Now we are seeing that thought show up in the media:
“In 2004, Brooks said he could see Oakland County becoming a Democratic county in 20 years,” said Dave Woodward, a county commissioner and chair of the Oakland County Democrats. “And my response was four. I think we can take majority status in 2008.”
Republicans, meanwhile, say the four seats lost in 2004 were an anomaly and predict they’ll take some back come November. And as long as they have a majority, Patterson won’t have to change his approach, they say.
“This election will be very important because our population growth has really slowed down,” said Commissioner and Chairman Bill Bullard Jr., R-Highland. “So whatever happens in this election will maybe happen two years from now.”
Democrats and Republicans alike agree that Oakland County is a different political landscape today than it was 20 years ago.
Once a Republican stronghold, the county went to Bill Clinton in 1996, Al Gore in 2000, and John Kerry in 2004. Gov. Jennifer Granholm also carried it in 2002.
Demographics, not shifts in voters’ opinions, are driving the changes, said pollster Steve Mitchell. Two large, Democratic voting blocks — African-Americans and Jews — have been moving to areas such as Southfield, West Bloomfield and Farmington.
In 1988, President Bush lost by 5,000 votes in Southfield, Mitchell said. In 2004, his son, George W. Bush, lost by 28,000 votes.
“That’s a huge margin of change and it’s a direct result of the African-American vote,” Mitchell said.
Patterson wonders why the newcomers, especially those from Detroit, don’t leave their old politics at the county line.
This is important because people are saying that Mike Bouchard can “win” the Senate race because of Oakland County.
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