What is the most liberal city in the South (best, compared, America)

[USARoadTrip]

I am currently doing a road trip through the US and have been driving through and halting in the majority of the Southern Metros spending some time in each of them. I have noticed some similarities and some differences between them and it had me thinking, in your opinion which city is the most liberal in the South. The four major metros I have covered are:-

1. Atlanta
2. Dallas
3. Houston
4. Miami

I have covered some other metros like Raleigh and Charlotte but they are too small to compare to the above 4 metros.

I am posting my observations below.

From my observation I felt that Atlanta was the most liberal. Lots of interracial couples(mostly Black and White with some Asians and Hispanics) and a huge LGBT population. I didn't travel outside the perimeter but I was told that the Northern suburbs and exurbs are very conservative and mostly White and Asian(Korean, Indian).

Miami - The next liberal city I felt after Atlanta. Miami Beach area seemed very liberal. Huge South American and Cuban populations but in general the vibe seemed to be a bit closed like Cubans dating Cubans and people sticking to their own race or country of origin. Some of the first generation immigrants I felt were very racist and prejudiced against LGBT crowd and seemed to carry the South American attitude where the lighter skinned people are thought be more attractive and the darker skinned people were less attractive.

Dallas and Houston I felt were the most conservative. I observed very few interracial couples and I didn't see a big LGBT presence.

These are just my observations and I wanted to see if the crowd in general feels the same way.

[Tall Traveler]

Politically liberal would probably be Miami and personally liberal (anything goes) would be New Orleans.

[isawooty]

Houston is conservative, but Dallas is even more so. Well, I'll say the metroplex is moreso than Greater Houston.

Fort Worth, whew chile! I couldn't grasp how a city that big to be so conservative.

Atlanta, the city, is not that conservative. Even in the wealthiest areas, most are conservbrials at most.

Now once you gets outside the city limits (especially to the north) oh they conservative. And don't try pushing your little gay agenda off on them unless you ready to fight.

[Frank Bones]

I don't think the apparent presence of interracial couples and LGBTs is the best metric for gauging how progressive a metro area is.

It's true that Miami and Atlanta largely vote Democratic but I think that has more to do with their diverse populations and the perceived xenophobia of the Republican Party right now. I've never felt like the people in either Atlanta or Miami are that progressive. Not nearly as progressive as other parts of the country anyway.

With their suburban sprawl and car culture, Atlanta and Miami have to be the some of the least green cities. People are also pretty religious in Atlanta and Miami, especially the blacks and Latinos that live there. There's a lot of conspicuous consumption in Atlanta and Miami -- a lot of people living in McMansions driving sports cars. That kind of ostentatious behavior is faux pas in the more liberal cities of the north and west. Miami and Atlanta have a lot more politically in common with Dallas and Houston.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Frank Bones

It's true that Miami and Atlanta largely vote Democratic but I think that has more to do with their diverse populations and the perceived xenophobia of the Republican Party right now. I've never felt like the people in either Atlanta or Miami are that progressive. Not nearly as progressive as other parts of the country anyway.

I'm sorry, but I hate this attitude that a lot of people have on City Data - that blacks and Latinos aren't "real liberals" for some reason.

There have been tons of studies of the stance on issues of blacks and Latinos. Blacks are generally in opposition to SSM still, and Latinos are generally slightly anti-abortion. But otherwise they tend to be pretty much across the board left leaning. This includes everything from social issues (opposed to capital punishment, in favor of gun control) to economic issues (tend to be far more left-leaning than even the typical white Democrat).

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I'm sorry, but I hate this attitude that a lot of people have on City Data - that blacks and Latinos aren't "real liberals" for some reason.

There have been tons of studies of the stance on issues of blacks and Latinos. Blacks are generally in opposition to SSM still, and Latinos are generally slightly anti-abortion. But otherwise they tend to be pretty much across the board left leaning. This includes everything from social issues (opposed to capital punishment, in favor of gun control) to economic issues (tend to be far more left-leaning than even the typical white Democrat).

And even the sorta true stereotypes about Black folks being anti-SSM and Latino being anti-abortion are true in the urban areas of Atlanta and Miami.

In Atlanta this past Friday for example, about an hour after the Supreme Court ruling, the first same sex couple to be married in Georgia was in Downtown Atlanta and was between two Black lesbians by a Jewish judge. That's about as liberal as you can get.

[USARoadTrip]

Originally Posted by Frank Bones

I don't think the apparent presence of interracial couples and LGBTs is the best metric for gauging how progressive a metro area is.

It's true that Miami and Atlanta largely vote Democratic but I think that has more to do with their diverse populations and the perceived xenophobia of the Republican Party right now. I've never felt like the people in either Atlanta or Miami are that progressive. Not nearly as progressive as other parts of the country anyway.

With their suburban sprawl and car culture, Atlanta and Miami have to be the some of the least green cities. People are also pretty religious in Atlanta and Miami, especially the blacks and Latinos that live there. There's a lot of conspicuous consumption in Atlanta and Miami -- a lot of people living in McMansions driving sports cars. That kind of ostentatious behavior is faux pas in the more liberal cities of the north and west. Miami and Atlanta have a lot more politically in common with Dallas and Houston.

Probably true about the suburbs of Atlanta and Miami but that's how most of the suburbs are even for the cities int the North or the West. I lived in LA for a few years and once you cross LA city limits and enter Orange county it's as conservative as it gets with McMansions and cookie cutter subdivisions. I believe the suburbs will always be relatively conservative compared to the city.

[OptimusPrime69]

Every city on that list has liberal elements and being a member of the LGBT community or a minority in any of those cities will not be an issue.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by USARoadTrip

From my observation I felt that Atlanta was the most liberal. Lots of interracial couples(mostly Black and White with some Asians and Hispanics) and a huge LGBT population. I didn't travel outside the perimeter but I was told that the Northern suburbs and exurbs are very conservative and mostly White and Asian(Korean, Indian).

I wouldn't call the northern suburbs of Atlanta "very" conservative until you go all the way to the more rural exurbs of Forsyth or Bartow counties. The closer-in northern suburbs are more conservative than the city of Atlanta, but I would call them moderate by comparison. When you get a taste of REAL conservatism by going further out it's easy to see.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by isawooty

Houston is conservative, but Dallas is even more so. Well, I'll say the metroplex is moreso than Greater Houston.

Fort Worth, whew chile! I couldn't grasp how a city that big to be so conservative.

Atlanta, the city, is not that conservative. Even in the wealthiest areas, most are conservbrials at most.

Now once you gets outside the city limits (especially to the north) oh they conservative. And don't try pushing your little gay agenda off on them unless you ready to fight.