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According to Gallup's "State of the States" all these states have below-average self-identified conservatives, but the closest to average for "self-identified conservative" is Pennsylvania. It lists it as slightly below average in self-identified liberals.
Going by the following ranking by Andrew Gelman New Jersey is the most fiscally conservative of states listed and Pennsylvania the most socially conservative on this list. Maine is in between the two on both measures.
I think there are rural parts of Maine, and places without colleges, that are a good deal more conservative than that even if not real conservative. Piscataquis was the only county in New England to be won by McCain. Aroostook County strongly supported an initiative that rejected Same-Sex Marriage. As did Piscataquis and Somerset counties.
Still many of the largest towns are fairly liberal and the state as a whole is fairly liberal.
Like others I picked Pennsylvania. New Hampshire might be a better choice in some ways, but Pennsylvania has Anti-Choice "Blue Dog" Democrats like Tim Holden. It also has counties like Snyder or Wayne that went for both Goldwater and McCain as well as going for Santorum in 2006. Lastly Pennsylvania has the Amish, now those people are conservative!
She visited friends who lived in central and northern Maine in very small towns.
I like this thread. I think most people associate liberalism with the northeast and don't really think of it as conservative, in the southeast is vice versa. We should compare the most conservative NE state to the most liberal SE state and see how they're similiar.
She visited friends who lived in central and northern Maine in very small towns.
Huh. Although people going to college are also sometimes more liberal than average. Still I guess it is a pretty liberal state. A shame really, I used to think it would be neat to live in Maine. Maybe I would have to find a town there that's mostly old people. (Which could be okay, I like old people. Count Basie's awesome, etc)
What's funny is Maine and Vermont are the only states that were never won by FDR. Pretty weird huh?
She visited friends who lived in central and northern Maine in very small towns.
a lot of people from small towns who go off to college are liberal, even if most people in their town are not so liberal. Even down here, I have pleanty of liberal friends who came from small conservative towns across TN.
Last time I checked, the liberal political ideology and conservative political ideology is MUCH MUCH more than just LGTB rights and pro choice/pro life. I dont understand why so many people lately seem to forget that and only think about those two particular topics and peoples reaction to those topics and if that person is straight up liberal or conservative.
For this poll, I picked New Jersey, but now I think I should have picked Connecticut. Both of these states are the msot conservative in the Northwest as well as Pennsylvania.
According to Gallup's "State of the States" all these states have below-average self-identified conservatives, but the closest to average for "self-identified conservative" is Pennsylvania. It lists it as slightly below average in self-identified liberals.
Going by the following ranking by Andrew Gelman New Jersey is the most fiscally conservative of states listed and Pennsylvania the most socially conservative on this list. Maine is in between the two on both measures.
Thanks for posting those links -- very interesting. It is important to note that Pennsylvania is below average in terms of self-ascribed conservative identification, as well. The moderate identification, however, is above average. Also, looking at a median of liberal identification, PA is still more liberal than most other states (23rd out of 51).
At any rate, I think deciding the "most conservative" state of the Northeast is kind of like deciding which extra value meal at McDonald's is the most nutritious.
Despite this "swing state" nonsense perpetuated by the media (PA, for one, hasn't gone for a Rep. in the presidential election since '88), all of these states are presently pretty reliably Democratic and at least slightly more liberal than most other states.
Thanks for posting those links -- very interesting. It is important to note that Pennsylvania is below average in terms of self-ascribed conservative identification, as well. The moderate identification, however, is above average. Also, looking at a median of liberal identification, PA is still more liberal than most other states (23rd out of 51).
At any rate, I think deciding the "most conservative" state of the Northeast is kind of like deciding which extra value meal at McDonald's is the most nutritious.
Despite this "swing state" nonsense perpetuated by the media (PA, for one, hasn't gone for a Rep. in the presidential election since '88), all of these states are presently pretty reliably Democratic and at least slightly more liberal than most other states.
Truth in that. When you take out Philadelphia and Pittsburgh the state of Pennsylvania comes out somewhat-to-strongly conservative, but it's also true Philadelphia and Pittsburgh represent a high portion of the population so taking them out is taking out a lot. (On looking it up Scranton and Erie also come out fairly Democratic)
New Hampshire is the only of these states to go for George W. Bush, doing so in 2000. That plus the tax thing means I'm tempted to think I should have picked NH, but I think it's trending liberal in a way Pennsylvania isn't trending. Pennsylvania had at least two counties go for McCain that had went for Kerry in 2004. All counties in NH went for Obama more than they had went for Kerry or Gore. (Massachusetts had two counties where McCain did better than Bush did in either election, but that could just mean that they really disliked Bush. Also Massachusetts has some racial history, but I don't know that that's still in play)
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