Why do Northerners vote so differently in state races vs. presidential races?

Yankees are dumb

As one of the resident libs on this board posted recently, the midterm electorate is whiter, wealthier, more informed and better educated than the electorate during presidential elections.

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There are now Republican Governors in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts

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As I mentioned in another thread, Baker will be the 5th Republican governor out of the last 6, with current Governor Deval Patrick being the only Dem. Gov. there in the last 24 years . But just try to send a Massachusetts Republican to the House or the Senate .

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Local races = spend their money. National races = spend someone else's money.

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This

H W Bush took Illinois, Michigan, Maine, and Maryland.

It's all cyclical.

I think the Midwest (OH, MI, WI, MO, Iowa, and maybe - just maybe - Illinois) will actually be trending back a bit purpleish-red over the next generation. I live in Illinois and some of the political self-loathing you hear around here is almost funny; people are so sick of what the local status quo here that a change - any change in any direction - is wanted. The unions have been dying a slow death, but it's getting ever closer, and the demographics set up well for the GOP around here.

I think you'll see it somewhat offset by VA, NC, and FL going more purpleish-blue and GA and maybe even Texas going purpleish.

Interestingly, Illinois lost almost 100,000 African-Americans between the 2000 and 2010 censuses. The century-long strangehold that the Democratic party on ethnic blocs (Irish, Polish, Italian, African-American, Hispanic, etc) in Chicago and the resulting massive influence the party had statewide because of this is starting to break, I think.