[johnspecial]

Southern is the predominant culture in Oklahoma. That gets thicker as you move south and east. There is little difference between Southeastern Oklahoma and rural Mississippi.

[swake]

We'll give you that one, both are pretty terrible and sad places overall.

[johnspecial]

Originally Posted by swake

We'll give you that one, both are pretty terrible and sad places overall.

If you hate it here, why do you continue to live in a southern state? You could go north about 300 miles and find yourself a nice midwestern enclave like St Louis.

[picklejuice]

Originally Posted by NewTexico76

Oklahoma is so central it can be all three.

I tend to think of Oklahomans as "southerners" in terms of speech, food, music, religion, etc. I would bet most prominent Oklahomans, like Garth Brooks or Toby Keith are seen as "southerners."

Physically, its very similar to Kansas and the Midwest with its hot summers, stormy weather, and colder winters than the southeast.

Economically, it has more in common with the west: oil and gas, ranching. The strong Native American presence and growing Mexican American presence gives Oklahoma much in common with areas to the west. However, the west (aside from Utah) tends to be less religious.

OK is pretty much Georgia in disguise! LOL!!

[GraniteStater]

It is the Southwest with Southern being confined to the eastern 1/3 of the state. Nothing Midwest about it.

[e_cuyler]

That sounds about right to me.

I'd say Tulsa might be more midwestern if you define midwestern as not having any particular regional identity.

[swake]

Originally Posted by johnspecial

If you hate it here, why do you continue to live in a southern state? You could go north about 300 miles and find yourself a nice midwestern enclave like St Louis.

I don't live in southeastern Oklahoma and I would never live there. Poor, racist, isolated and insulated. My father used to live in in McAlester and it was pretty awful. And that's about as good as that part of the state gets.

So, there is not "here" to me at all. I don't live in the south. I live in Tulsa.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by swake

I don't live in southeastern Oklahoma and I would never live there. Poor, racist, isolated and insulated. My father used to live in in McAlester and it was pretty awful. And that's about as good as that part of the state gets.

So, there is not "here" to me at all. I don't live in the south. I live in Tulsa.

Tulsa is not as southern compared to anything in SE Oklahoma but still feels southern to me.

[Rubi3]

Opinions differ, but however it "feels," Oklahoma is southwestern. If small areas seem to be different, it doesn't change the designation of the whole state. I wonder why it matters?

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Rubi3

Opinions differ, but however it "feels," Oklahoma is southwestern. If small areas seem to be different, it doesn't change the designation of the whole state. I wonder why it matters?

Because on the national forums TexasReb has declared that "Southwestern" is strictly Arizona and New Mexico................

So all that "southwestern" you "feel" is obviously wrong. You know, the cattle, the cowboys, the great plains, the buffalo, the history of the plains indians, the cattle ranches, the feed lots, the boulder strewn rugged Wichita mountains, the mesas of the western panhandle, the mesquite trees, and cactus of southwestern Oklahoma are all "southern". The wheat fields that blend into western Kansas and the Germans, Czechs, Mennonites who farm them and mostly came from points north as pioneers to raise it..........all "southern".