The reddest state

The Beagle's friends in Utah must bow to the Beagle's friends in Oklahoma -- the reddest state in 2008 with a whopping 66 percent, and running into the 70s down in Little Dixie (y'know, Hugo, Idabel, Bug Tussle).

That's a change from the state's earlier socialist roots that helped influence the state flag that flew from 1911-24. But that whole ruckus over in old Eurasia in 1917 caused some of the citizens to whup themselves into a frenzy so frothy that they changed the flag to its present Indian shield (honoring the folks the Boomers and Sooners conspired to screw over in every other imaginable way) on a turquoise background (the pantone of which is solemnly specified by statute). But that wasn't enough....

According to Wikipedia, "Oklahoma statute still provides that flying 'any red flag or other emblem or banner, indicating disloyalty to the Government of the United States or a belief in anarchy or other political doctrines or beliefs, whose objects are either the disruption or destruction of organized government, or the defiance of the laws of the United States or of the State of Oklahoma' is a felony with a possible 10 year prison sentence and a $1,000 fine."

So perhaps this provides a partial explanation, in that since the McCain't-Paling ticket tried to make it a referendum on loyalty to the United States, and since any emblem or banner indicating disloyalty (an Obama button or yard sign, for example) could draw a 10-year sentence, then hats off to the brave souls who risked fines or imprisonment and voted for Barack anyway.