"Yer average red state voter does whatever their good father in his grave would have wanted them to do -- they owe it to him for leaving them a house and a farm w/a pond on it."

Your a bit off on your assessment of the southern red states, at least. When the phenom of political loyalty for a pond and acreage was a common occurrence the place(the Southeast) was solidly blue all the way back to the civil war where the democrat party ruled over slavery, the KKK, Jim Crow, and were anti civil rights for black folk. It wasn't until about 20 years ago that the state of Tennessee returned the State House and Senate to republican control for the first time since the civil war. Texas even used to be blue with the likes of Ma (puuuurr George, he kent hep it he was burn wif a siver spun in his mouf) Richards in control of the liberal democrats. I was there when she went down in a blaze of dog poop to puuur George.

No, the political loyalty for a pond and acreage was purely a democrat voter phenom which lead to the battle cry and political philosophy so shallow an earth worm couldn't swim in it...if it was good nuf fer my daddy it's good nuf fer me. Chaaage!!