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Evidence to the contrary: NC has 2 Republican US Senators, a majority Republican Congressional delegation (10 to 3!) and a Republican governor. Also, the GOP took control of the General Assembly prior to the current redistricting.
NC is most assuredly not getting more liberal.
It is getting more liberal or less conservative (more purplish than true red or blue)....the GOP bought NC the past 6 years...Koch/Pope poured a lot of money into capturing those seats, re-gerrymander districts to be pro-GOP. This is what money can do....the states voting break down is very much 50/50. It is probably one of the worst reflections of a state's overall voting composition in the US. Purchased, plain and simple. No way in the hell is the 10:3 representative of the way NC's vote....it's been chopped, parceled and hacked....but hey, that's what money can do.
I wouldn't be surprised if many Northeastern transplants are packing their bags because NC took a sharp turn to the right. Also, our reputation of being one of the worst states in America regarding education certainly doesn't help. If NC continues down this road, this massive influx of transplants might gradually diminish. However, you never know. I doubt Jesse Helms blocked all the transplants, and look at some other states like Texas and Georgia. Some people just go where it's cheaper, and don't necessarily care about politics.
I wouldn't be surprised if many Northeastern transplants are packing their bags because NC took a sharp turn to the right. Also, our reputation of being one of the worst states in America regarding education certainly doesn't help. If NC continues down this road, this massive influx of transplants might gradually diminish. However, you never know. I doubt Jesse Helms blocked all the transplants, and look at some other states like Texas and Georgia.
I'm not at all convinced "northeastern transplants" are uniformly or even mostly, liberal. Brunswick County is one of the fasted growing counties in NC, fueled largely by transplants from the northeast, and it is solidly republican, maybe even more so that 10 years ago. I think the meme of the liberal yankee is a myth, or at least the ones that move to NC aren't.
There's no actual evidence to support that, and as I have pointed out, much to support the opposite.
Sure, the regional and congressional districts were purchased but the state has undoubtedly migrated into the purple zone from a decisively red zone. The state is not becoming a liberal ground hold but there is a growing independent base of thinkers...definitely less conservative. Local politics and gerrymandered districts are not the best gauge, the presidential election results are.
I'm not at all convinced "northeastern transplants" are uniformly or even mostly, liberal. Brunswick County is one of the fasted growing counties in NC, fueled largely by transplants from the northeast, and it is solidly republican, maybe even more so that 10 years ago. I think the meme of the liberal yankee is a myth, or at least the ones that move to NC aren't.
Again, it's the independent groundswell that is altering the voting composition of the state. It is undoubtedly changing NC, however, the disarray of the local and state-wide Dem party along with an infusion of cash from outside resources paved the way for the recent shake up in Raleigh. Hagan/Tillis was a toss up, could a gone either way.
Maybe you should try to use data instead of anecdotes.
Considering recent elections, (not just the General Assembly but the Senate and Pres elections) and despite all the liberal rhetoric of "wait til the election!", Republicans still won, everytime. Even the Democrats holding their convention in Charlotte and the "great ground game" the Dems claim to have had not handed them a victory in NC.
I will say this, in 2008, the Reps did not really campaign in NC and they lost it for the first time since 1976, by less then a percent, but still lost.
The Reps simply cannot take NC for granted anymore like they could in the 1980s and 1990s, but as long as they invest time and money in the state they tend to do well.
This is getting way off topic, but I'll make another point. Historically, North Carolina has a reputation of being more liberal than the rest of the South. However, that's not saying much. I feel like people believe this whole state is solid blue, which isn't the case. It all comes down to a division between urban (more so purple or blue) and rural (more so red).
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