Exactly How Right Wing is Phoenix/Arizona? (Tucson, Mesa: appointed, rent)

[LuvGreenChile]

My family was considering moving to the Mesa/Phoenix area, but lately all we see are stories about people in Arizona who espouse very right wing views (i.e. shooting the President's image, arresting anyone who looks Hispanic, Birtherism reborn, etc). On the boards on Yahoo! I continue to read comments by people from the Phoenix area saying women don't deserve rights, that blacks should be killed, that non-Christians should be run out of America, and so on. The state is beginning to come across as one big white supremacist, religious right playground.

I'm an independent, and would probably rate as a centrist, but all the things I read online have me wondering. Just how far right is Arizona?

[observer53]

There are people espousing far right views (and far left views, for that matter) in every major city in the country. The people on the extremes get the most media coverage (a lot of the time, they seek it out) so that it makes it look like everyone from a given place, or the large majority, have those extreme views. Registered independents are a huge voting bloc in this state, particularly in Maricopa County, and they are definitely not all right wing fans.

We don't "arrest everyone who looks Hispanic" here, BTW. That's a large exaggeration.

[Bondurant]

I'm from Michigan. I lived in the suburbs of Chicago for a decade. I also spent 18 months near Scranton, PA. The people in Phoenix and AZ are no different. Don't believe everything the New York Times and CNN and MSNBC want you to believe.

Is everyone is San Francisco a socialist? Is everyone in Texas a cowboy? Is everyone in Wisconsin fat? Is everyone in Detroit a criminal?

[gearedtowardssalad]

This is an interesting topic for me, because some of the most open and accepting people I've met in my life were from Phoenix. There are good people everywhere, you just may have to seek them out differently.

[rgscpat]

It's a bit conservative, in a libertarian sort of way, but it varies by location. Tucson is more liberal, politically, for example. A whole lot of people are here from other parts of the world. There is some concern about the impact of immigration and a sheriff who is somewhat controversial.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by LuvGreenChile

My family was considering moving to the Mesa/Phoenix area, but lately all we see are stories about people in Arizona who espouse very right wing views (i.e. shooting the President's image, arresting anyone who looks Hispanic, Birtherism reborn, etc). On the boards on Yahoo! I continue to read comments by people from the Phoenix area saying women don't deserve rights, that blacks should be killed, that non-Christians should be run out of America, and so on. The state is beginning to come across as one big white supremacist, religious right playground.

I'm an independent, and would probably rate as a centrist, but all the things I read online have me wondering. Just how far right is Arizona?

Your reaction proves just how the media can change public perception overnight. If anyone but McCain would have run against Obama, this state would have voted for Obama in the last election. Of course, things have changed since 2008 and this state isn't fond of Obama but Arizona is not a right wing state.

It's a conservative state that is libertarian. It has little if anything in common with the typical Southern conservative states. There is not a strong Evangelical Christian presence here. We were not a Confederate state. We don't have history of slavery and an economy that relied upon slaves hence you don't have a lot of African Americans and racial tension that you have in the Southern states. It's very different.

Keep in mind, in 2006, Arizona was one of the first states to vote down a gay marriage ban (they voted in support of it years later). Arizona voted for Bill Clinton in 1996. We had a lesbian governor until she was appointed by the President in 2008. The mayor of Tempe was openly gay. Flagstaff and Tucson are liberal.

The state's image in the media changed when prop 1070 came into play. The state changed from a Republican state was progressively becoming liberal to a whacky right wing state.

Needless to say, you will find that our reputation is unwarranted. I have family that live in Austin Texas and Austin is supposed to be liberal but it feels more conservative than Phoenix socially speaking. I think you will discover that Arizona's right wing reputation is a lot of hype and not the reality.

[LuvGreenChile]

Thank you for the answers, everyone.

Politically-wise, how would you rate the various parts of the metro area? For instance, I'm guessing the Scottsdale would skew more conservative, whereas downtown Phoenix might be more liberal? Or I could be wrong. The areas we're most interested in are Mesa, the North Phoenix corridor and Glendale, mostly because they seem to be more affordable, while at the same time being somewhat safe.

We were thinking of visiting Phoenix to see about buying a townhouse or patio home with cash. Where we are in ABQ the houses are in the $250K to $400K range for very modest-sized homes and rents are between $1200 to $1400 for about 1,000 square feet. In your metro, however, it looks like you can get an okay, not great, but okay place for $50K.

We can't afford much, and we want to buy outright because we're older, (the adults I mean!) we were caught in the economic downturn, and now realize how important it is to have a place that can't be taken away from you if you can't pay the rent or mortgage.

Also, we're both originally from Los Angeles. Creative types, but we have things we like/don't like about both sides of the political spectrum.

[LuvGreenChile]

Thank you, AZriverfan. That was some very helpful information and very heartening to hear.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by LuvGreenChile

Thank you for the answers, everyone.

Politically-wise, how would you rate the various parts of the metro area? For instance, I'm guessing the Scottsdale would skew more conservative, whereas downtown Phoenix might be more liberal? Or I could be wrong. The areas we're most interested in are Mesa, the North Phoenix corridor and Glendale, mostly because they seem to be more affordable, while at the same time being somewhat safe.

We were thinking of visiting Phoenix to see about buying a townhouse or patio home with cash. Where we are in ABQ the houses are in the $250K to $400K range for very modest-sized homes and rents are between $1200 to $1400 for about 1,000 square feet. In your metro, however, it looks like you can get an okay, not great, but okay place for $50K.

We can't afford much, and we want to buy outright because we're past 40, we were caught in the economic downturn, and now realize how important it is to have a place that can't be taken away from you if you can't pay the rent or mortgage.

Also, we're both originally from Los Angeles. Creative types, but we have things we like/hate about both sides of the political spectrum.

Mesa feels the most conservative followed by Glendale in my opinion. Scottsdale is fiscally conservative but socially liberal. Phoenix, Tempe and Chandler are the most liberal.

[portlanderinOC]

Flagstaff, Sedona, and Tucson are probably the centres of liberalism in the state. Phoenix is generally more republican from what I know, and many lead very suburban lifestyles even within the city limits.