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California, on the other hand is about 600 miles long and has differences in idealogy for that entire stretch. CA has many Liberals, but we also have areas that are either republican strongholds or lean to the right. We also have many people who lean Libertarian, as well as mamy Conservative Christians.
The same thing happens in Maryland. The Baltimore-Washington area is pretty liberal. But it gets very conservative as you head to the exurbs and rural areas such as western Maryland, southern Maryland and the eastern shore.
It's just that Baltimore-Washington dominates Maryland in terms of population (and therefore politics) because the state has a relatively small land area.
California has a very large conservative population that Maryland just doesn't have...the conservative population in Maryland is much smaller both by percentage and raw numbers. California may have the reputation as more liberal, but in reality Maryland actually IS.
California is home to the most liberal metro area in the nation - the SF Bay Area as well as the most liberal public colleges in the nation. It's also home to Hollywood which pushes a liberal agenda. California has become more liberal in recent years as Southern California was once moderate to Republican-leaning but today it is solidly left-leaning. Only inland California remains a conservative stronghold which is a small portion of the total population of the state. Maryland may be more liberal overall but I don't think it has vast areas as liberal as the SF Bay area or Berkeley.
I wouldn't call Southern CA "solidly" left-leaning at all. Sure it may be more left-leaning than in the past but it's anything but "solid" imo, plenty of conservative areas and moderate areas all over Southern CA still. Orange County is still a republican strong-hold and on the coast.
As a state overall, Maryland. People are generally thinking of the coastal area when it comes to California, but there is a pretty vast and populous interior that often leans right.
Are Maryland Democrats more liberal than California Democrats? No.
In fact, Maryland Democrats aren't even equally as liberal as California Democrats. Maryland Dems tend to be more blue collar and less progressive than California Dems. Key example is recycling. The City of San Francisco recycles roughly 75% of their waste. Baltimore City barely recycles 20% annually. In California, composting is common. In Maryland its just starting to develop.
Another common mistake people make about the political landscape of Maryland is that the state is dominated by one metropolitan area. The reality is that the state is dominated by two metropolitan areas. Baltimore & Washington are two completely different political animals. The DC suburbs are more liberal/progressive than Baltimore, likely due to economic ties to the Federal Government. Baltimore City votes heavily Democratic although not particularly liberal. Baltimore County just recently started going blue and is about 52%-48% Dems. Many of the counties surrounding Baltimore City are extremely conservative. The Easterns Shore, Southern Maryland, and Western Maryland are conservative.
In conclusion, the more liberal state is California. Maryland has the potential of catching up, but it will take some time. The Chesapeake Bay's health will play a large factor in where the state moves politically.
People have no idea what the word "liberal" means anymore. Bill O'Reilly's definition, which has become so prolific, is not accurate.
Here is the actual definition:
"According to all the classical liberal thinkers, a commitment to individual liberty implies endorsement of the institutions of private property and the free market."
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