Real Virginia, Northern Virginia, and the New York Yankees: A case study

You hear pols talk from time to time about so-called Real Virginia, the part south and west of what we consider Northern Virginia, the extended D.C. suburbs and exurbs.

Real Virginia, politically, is largely Republican, outside of the pockets in Richmond and Norfolk, largely conservative, mainly socially conservative, rock-ribbed, religious and that.

Isn’t it funny, then, that one of the favorite baseball teams of Real Virginia is the New York Yankees?

Public Policy Polling offers us this nugget. Northern Virginia backs the Washington Nationals by a wide margin, with 40 percent of the region claiming the Nats as their favorite team.

Real Virginia gives a slight edge to the Atlanta Braves, with 15 percent. The Yankees – my grandmother, from her grave, still snarling Damn Yankees as she considers this – are at 14 percent.

Another team from way north of the Mason-Dixon Line, the Boston Red Sox, is third at 10 percent.

A couple of things the two Virginias agree on: we don’t want West Virginia back (only 11 percent of NoVa, and 19 percent of Real Virginia, is for reunification), and neither do either of us want to annex Washington, D.C. (15 percent of NoVa would back annexation, and 19 percent of Real Virginia would, for only God knows why).

One area where we agree is one I wouldn’t have predicted: on the issue of whether D.C. should become the 51st state. NoVa splits 51-38 in favor, and Real Virginia backs D.C. statehood by a narrow 43-40 split.

Not that a D.C. state is ever going to happen – basically, no way Republicans agree to seat two additional Democrats in the U.S. Senate – but still.

It’s got to be significant that Real Virginia doesn’t see NoVa and D.C. as the root of all evil. As for what to make of the thing about rooting for the New York Yankees, we’re going to need to put some money to research on that one.

More from the polling data: click here.