[johnr83]

No, I just like being able to speak my mind without worrying about saying the "wrong things." I believe in listening to all points of view, and getting to know people from all walks of life. In my experiences, Ann Arbor is very friendly if you have an affluent background and your family is zealously liberal, otherwise, people don't talk to you.

Your post is indicative of this. Because I don't like closed-minded judgmental people, I must also be opposed to education, "crazy religious" and from a rural area. I couldn't possibly just have a different point-of-view.

[Coldjensens]

Why is it that in the political threads people always end up saying ridiculous or stupid things?

[johnr83]

We get emotional

[TaylorRothschild]

Michigan is going through an identity crisis. . .more than most states. And I don't think it has anything to do with "crazy religious conservatives" or foodstamps.

Michigan is truly a SWING state. . .not red or blue. It's just too bad every other state isn't.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by darstar

What's wrong with Ann Arbor anyway ? I hope you have not bought into the far right non education crap, just to please some less informed folks that are hung up on agendas that trump all things sensible, mostly for some out of touch religious crazy people. Most of these folks do come from very rural places.

Well -- for one, the people of Ann Arbor vote identically as the people of Detroit but they don't want to include Detroit in with the "progressive" voters. What's with making a distinction from other liberal voters?

[darstar]

Originally Posted by malamute

Well -- for one, the people of Ann Arbor vote identically as the people of Detroit but they don't want to include Detroit in with the "progressive" voters. What's with making a distinction from other liberal voters?

This is all nuts !. I was not wanting to start a political argument, there are other places for that. Why is it that the right wing folks are so , " on the Edge" ? I lived in Ypsilanti years ago, and dated several lady Grads and professors in Ann Arbor. While we had little in common, there was always a pleasant conversation when it came to where you live, and, they knew where I lived ( Lake in the Woods complex).. I never got any of that elitist comments you two guys seem to want to start a fight over. Why ?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by malamute

Well -- for one, the people of Ann Arbor vote identically as the people of Detroit but they don't want to include Detroit in with the "progressive" voters. What's with making a distinction from other liberal voters?

I doubt it really needs to be stated, but voting for Democrats doesn't automatically mean someone is 'progressive' or 'liberal'.

Progressive/liberal cities are places like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Boston, etc.

Detroit is probably one of the country's least progressive cities, if there was such a list.

[EP in MI]

Michigan is a blue state because of the inner cities and the unions. The inner cities all across america vote blue and the unions push democratic candidates which their members usually vote for. The rest of the state will have the normal split of red and blue like other states, but there is not enough red voters to offset the blue. It will stay this way for a while too because the working class in Michigan is not as industrious as the working class 30 years ago.

As far as Snyder like someone mentioned, most people seem to hate him here. He made tough cuts and screwed a lot of people. The economy is definitely improving under his guidance, I can't give credit to Obama for that because his green jobs initiative has been a total bust in this state. The business tax climate has improved from 49th to 7th in the country so that is promoting growth.

[sweet life]

Originally Posted by johnr83

Ann Arbor is in-your-face progressive and people in that city are only allowed to think a certain way. Progressives elsewhere tend to be more open and tolerant to other points of view, so you might interpret that as being "conservative."

John,
I have lived in Ann Arbor for more than 20 years and have met people here from the full range of the political spectrum - very liberal to very conservative. In general, it is a very tolerant place. The only thing I am intolerant of is people who make ridiculous generalizations like "people in that city are only allowed to think a certain way". I know you have an axe to grind over the fact that one person happened to ignore you when you were having car trouble in Ann Arbor once, but does that have to color everything you say about the place? Or, do you really believe these things you say?

[darstar]

Originally Posted by EP in MI

Michigan is a blue state because of the inner cities and the unions. The inner cities all across america vote blue and the unions push democratic candidates which their members usually vote for. The rest of the state will have the normal split of red and blue like other states, but there is not enough red voters to offset the blue. It will stay this way for a while too because the working class in Michigan is not as industrious as the working class 30 years ago.

As far as Snyder like someone mentioned, most people seem to hate him here. He made tough cuts and screwed a lot of people. The economy is definitely improving under his guidance, I can't give credit to Obama for that because his green jobs initiative has been a total bust in this state. The business tax climate has improved from 49th to 7th in the country so that is promoting growth.

You are so wrong it does not even merit a response.. Its an insult that you say Michiganders are dumber or less aggressive now than 30 years ago. Its just not true ! I doubt that you know just what Michigan has to offer, and is taking advantage of.Industrial Machinery ( a lot of the robotics are made here) market has never been stronger, and Snyder had nothing to do with it, that I know. The recovery started when the Obama adm. bailed out the car factories. I saw it with my own vision, as that the business I am in the distribution of industrial machinery, which are Capital goods expenditures, and business almost recovered overnight about a year ago now. We can't keep up. There is a shortage if skilled workers , but also truck drivers, so the economy is strong, it just takes a year for the trickle down effect to the average worker..There are more skilled workers in Michigan than any other state, when you take in to consideration the vast support industries that support the new , and old, growth of the come back auto plants, that the GOP wanted to just let go broke and into bankruptcy. That recovery we take pride in.just ask any worker that has been called back to work, any driver who can't deliver the goods fast enough, and last but not lest, the vast majority of Michigan residents, who, have a job and are working. here in Marquette we never saw a down turn, our housing values did not change,and, according to the map, the UP is still part of Michigan.