Well, the 2008 election <em>was</em> a spanking, metaphorically…

…but that’s not what Ezra Klein’s title – “Spanking and the 2008 election” – means. He notes a new study:

In states with lower percentages of people that endorse spanking and washing kids’ mouths out with soap, which is the case in New England and much of the Middle Atlantic, Obama did very well. In states with higher percentages, like Wyoming, Idaho, and Alabama, McCain won big.

Here’s the chart:

Klein writes:

The most interesting part of the study is that this is apparently a new divide in American politics.

Actually, the most interesting part is that Klein thinks this is new.

Via Memeorandum.