SOMETHING FOR NOTHING: State Debt And The 2008 Presidential Vote. “According to Moody’s, the average state per capita debt of the 28 Obama states is $1,728 while the average debt in the 22 McCain states is less than half, at $749. This information alone says a lot about voters and their attitude towards government and debt. Voters with a propensity to elect politicians who burden future generations who can’t yet vote with huge debts voted for Obama while fiscally responsible voters generally voted for McCain. This trend gets starker when you look at the debt in the states that voted overwhelmingly for one candidate.”