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If I am working in RTP or Raleigh, where would be a good place to live if I am looking for a good conservative core value area? Religion is a non issue, as I am not particularly religious. The balance of the core conservative principles would be what I am looking for in the population. At the very least, where conservatives out number Liberals. Obviously Chapel hill and Carrboro would be out.
Hard to find around these parts. Too many people on practically opposite sides of the spectrum. You have crunchy granola Indy reading aging hippie types next to southern fried religion-in-your-face conservatives. In the center you have some yuppie transplants who swing back and forth with the wind
You want something more constitutionalist or libertarian. Good luck finding a home most anywhere. People will assume you're an evil republican or just not republican enough, depending on the group you hang out with.
Make sure you check out Lawson in the 4th. He sounds like he's right up your alley but has got a tough struggle against an entrenched incumbent who'll have straight party ticket robots checking off his name without even really knowing him. Seems like you can get away with having two horns and a tail if you have a D by your name nowadays
You might also be interested in reading a book called "The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart."
Publishers Weekly says: "Consequences of the Big Sort are dire: balkanized communities whose inhabitants find other Americans to be culturally incomprehensible; a growing intolerance for political differences that has made national consensus impossible; and politics so polarized that Congress is stymied and elections are no longer just contests over policies, but bitter choices between ways of life."
When I wasn't very receptive about leaving Portland for NC, DH used the arguements in this book on me. Man, he knows where to get me every time!!
It's been an interesting journey... not just politically speaking. I was an old house dwelling, chai tea drinking, urban snob. And I could not imagine life in the slubburbs. Well, now I'm a "newish" house dwelling, ice tea drinking, suburban journey seeker. I don't know if I'm a "better person" for expanding my view but it's been fun seeing the other side that I wouldn't have opened myself up to before.
Life's to short to pass the interesting people by and I usually find the that the most interesting people are so completely different than I am.
I consider myself to be liberal, and I've met liberals who are jerks, and conservatives who are nice as can be. Personally, I don't care if the person living next to me is pro-choice or eco-friendly or whatever so long as they're nice, interesting people with a good sense of humor. Moreover, I haven't really found a difference in strength of family values between folks on the liberal spectrum and those on the conservative spectrum. There are plenty of the allegedly family-wrecking liberals who have long marriages and raise happy, healthy kids, just as there are plenty of allegedly family-friendly conservatives who have divorces and cheating to their name.
Really, while I can understand wanting to know and associate with folks who are anti-choice, I don't think they cluster together so easily, and I don't see why that makes them any better neighbors than their political opposite. Not all liberals hold loud parties at night from which wafts the sweet smell of marijuana.
So many responses. Thank you everyone. I will respond to everyone in one post.
I am more of a moderate. I lean conservative on some core issues, but lean more liberal on certain others. I have a great deal of tolerance for all sides.....when people are calm. My recent experience has been that when I am talking to a conservative about my liberal side, the conservative does not get all bent out of shape. When I talk to a liberal about my conservative side, the liberal gets very wound up. I have never had any major issues up until this year. I think this particular political season, along with the economic meltdown has put people on edge. I think there is much more passion in the air and that maybe one side is having a harder time remaining objective. Under normal and ideal circumstances, I would much prefer to live in an area that is 50/50 liberal/conservative. Maybe after the election and when the recovery starts, things will be better. If not, then I will go to where there are more conservatives, so I am not attacked again. I do not think the way to figure out which area is liberal and which is conservative is by candidate yard signs. Being Republican or Democrat is not the same thing as Conservative or Democrat. There or conservatives and liberals on both sides.
From your great input, in the end it seems the breakdown may be as follows:
Liberal:
Chapel Hill
Carrboro
Parts of Durham
Maybe parts of Raleigh
Mix:
Cary
Apex
Morrisville
Parts of Raleigh
Parts of Durham
Conservative:
The more rural areas surrounding the triangle, such as Clayton, Willow Springs
So many responses. Thank you everyone. I will respond to everyone in one post.
I am more of a moderate. I lean conservative on some core issues, but lean more liberal on certain others. I have a great deal of tolerance for all sides.....when people are calm. My recent experience has been that when I am talking to a conservative about my liberal side, the conservative does not get all bent out of shape. When I talk to a liberal about my conservative side, the liberal gets very wound up. I have never had any major issues up until this year. I think this particular political season, along with the economic meltdown has put people on edge. I think there is much more passion in the air and that maybe one side is having a harder time remaining objective. Under normal and ideal circumstances, I would much prefer to live in an area that is 50/50 liberal/conservative. Maybe after the election and when the recovery starts, things will be better. If not, then I will go to where there are more conservatives, so I am not attacked again. I do not think the way to figure out which area is liberal and which is conservative is by candidate yard signs. Being Republican or Democrat is not the same thing as Conservative or Democrat. There or conservatives and liberals on both sides.
From your great input, in the end it seems the breakdown may be as follows:
Liberal:
Chapel Hill
Carrboro
Parts of Durham
Maybe parts of Raleigh
Mix:
Cary
Apex
Morrisville
Parts of Raleigh
Parts of Durham
Conservative:
The more rural areas surrounding the triangle, such as Clayton, Willow Springs
Is this a good breakdown?
For me the operative word in your search is 'Breakdown'. Having a single area with all Liberals or all Conservatives is asking for a Breakdown. When we mix the two we get better debates and one can argue 'results'. We tend to learn and tolerate each other when we are mixed than apart. But this is just my conservatively liberal opinion I suppose!
Young Conservative try the mix side you may actually like the challenge!
You mentioned you felt attacked at work. I suggest you resist the urge to talk about core values in the workplace no matter where you live or what state you are in. If you are talking about right to life issues and such at work it will probably be frowned upon regardless of your views or your work environment. Avoid politics, race, religion, and weight and age discussions at work at all costs!
If you do want to vent about values and let off some steam just post on the Politics and Controversies forum here on city-data. There is plenty of screaming and attacking going on there from both sides!
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