What are your votes for the most liberal areas in WA. (Seattle: fit in, condo)

[passward]

I'm curious as to which towns or neighborhoods folks identify as the most liberal. We may or may not like it, but it's certainly a fact that WA state boasts some noticeably left-leaning enclaves. OK... I admit it... I LOVE liberal WA (and even congressman McDermott). Please post your nominees (and rants/raves).

Sure, these are EGREGIOUS oversimplifications but who doesn't dig:
*hippy-arty Port Townsend.
*Tree-huggin' ('cause they're done choppin') North Bend. (It seems Snoqualmie's holding firm to it's Repub heritage)
*Organic/Rawfood Mt. Vernon and it's wonderfully politically pure (read: naive) big bro Bellingham.
*the Independent Republic of Freemont - Unfortunately now dwindling in shadows cast by the Adobe bldg and others.
*Columbia City (note: this nominee, for the time being, still has a diverse pop!)

What else is there? Anything east of The Mountains?

[ness]

Originally Posted by passward

I'm curious as to which towns or neighborhoods folks identify as the most liberal. We may or may not like it, but it's certainly a fact that WA state boasts some noticeably left-leaning enclaves. OK... I admit it... I LOVE liberal WA (and even congressman McDermott). Please post your nominees (and rants/raves).

Sure, these are EGREGIOUS oversimplifications but who doesn't dig:
*hippy-arty Port Townsend.
*Tree-huggin' ('cause they're done choppin') North Bend. (It seems Snoqualmie's holding firm to it's Repub heritage)
*Organic/Rawfood Mt. Vernon and it's wonderfully politically pure (read: naive) big bro Bellingham.
*the Independent Republic of Freemont - Unfortunately now dwindling in shadows cast by the Adobe bldg and others.
*Columbia City (note: this nominee, for the time being, still has a diverse pop!)

What else is there? Anything east of The Mountains?

How does the Tacoma area rank? We're looking at Gig Harbor, Ruston, Univ. Place etc. and I would love to know the political bent in those areas. We are a blended family (I'm Democrat and husband is Republican). LOL. So we'd like an area that's not too too hippy, but also not a conservative haven.

[passward]

Originally Posted by ness

We are a blended family (I'm Democrat and husband is Republican). LOL. So we'd like an area that's not too too hippy, but also not a conservative haven.

Well, I suppose that's best. I think you'd both be quite at home ideolically in those places (you'll have friends to debate with his). Like the US in general, I'd guess that those on the right have softened a bit over the last couple years

[Judy & Randy]

I think it's a good idea you liberals stick with your own kind. Most metropolises are stuffed full of liberals. Please, stay away from conservative havens. Wouldn't want you to feel out of place.

[Alcon]

I actually have studied the precinct results for Washington pretty darn close. The obvious answer is Seattle. Excluding one waterfront Madison Park condo precinct and the exclusive Broadmoor Country Club, all of Seattle is Democratic. Dem hotspots: the Central District, Fremont, Capitol Hill. Overall, Republicans come in under 1 in 5 voters. Some places, under 1 in 20.

While Seattle is #1 with a bullet (80.6% Kerry), the remainder of the top 10 is more varied:

2. Port Townsend (75.8%) - Retired ex-hippie types building boats and playing guitars in a touristy art commune.

3. Index (75.7%) - Maybe a bit of a surprise. Ex-mining town in the Cascades along the scenic Skykomish River.

4. Langley (73.5%) - Whidbey Island artisan community. I'm not highly familiar.

5. Bainbridge Island (72.9%) - As if a rich part of Seattle broke off and floated off into the Sound.

The remainder of the top 10 is:

6. Lake Forest Park (68.6%)
7. Olympia (68.2%)
8. Bellingham (67.4%)
9. Shoreline (67.4%)
10. Skykomish (66.7%)

Honorable mention to Vashon Island. While it isn't a city, if it were, it would have ranked somewhere in the top 5, easily.

On the flipside, the conservative top 5:

1. Lynden (22.2%)
2. Napavine (26.5%)
3. Forks (28.9%)
4. Mossyrock (28.9%)
5. Nooksack (32.7%)

#1 and #5 are descendents of Dutch reformists. #2 and #4 are small, conservative, church-going towns outside of Centralia. #3 is anti-environmentalist sentiment in a troubled logging down.

Mount Vernon, interestingly, was a close shave - Kerry won only 50.4% to 47.8%. But I agree, it does seem more left-winged than it actually is. Maybe it's the tulips.

Edit: I suppose I should mention that this was Western Washington only. Eastern Washington screws up both lists a little, adding a bunch of heavily Mexican/Native American communities to the first and cluttering the second with farmtowns. Not that anyone has to guess about the politics there. Once you get out of central Spokane or a college area, *almost* all of the white areas are universally Republican. No big surprise (although there are exceptions...)

[ness]

Thank you very much for that summary. I'm thinking we'll be okay in Univ. Place area. I hope. I don't mind living in a community where people have a variety of viewpoints I just don't want to get stuck in a town with extreme single-mindedness and heavily religious/republican overtones to everything. Same with husband on the opposite end. He doesn't want to be in a super liberal area where he gets stoned for eating meat. = ) (His words...not mine). It's important to husband and I that the area is balanced so that kids are exposed to differences and can form their own opinions. I'm trying to be more tolerant of differing political views, but I still don't think I could live in a red state. lol. By the way...Judy and Randy....I thought your comment was a little passive aggressive. Why so much anger towards liberals? Hippies are people too. = )

[PencilMeIn]

I hope to find some moderates in WA. I am middle of the road in my political beliefs. I think any extreme, whether it be too far to the left or too far to the right, is not good....lacks common sense.

[ness]

Originally Posted by samsmom

I think any extreme, whether it be too far to the left or too far to the right, is not good....lacks common sense.

True True Very True.

[princessvanessa]

Originally Posted by ness

I'm thinking we'll be okay in Univ. Place area. I hope. Why so much anger towards liberals? Hippies are people too. = )

My sister refers to me as "the old hippie", as I am 54. University Place has a population of approx 30,000. I fit in just fine here, except I don't care much for the roundabouts. UP is kind of live and let live. We have Trader Joe's and The Great Harvest Bread Factory (right next door).

I think you might like University Place. BTW my ex was Republican and I'm Democrat--surprising there is still a roof on the house.

[Judy & Randy]

By the way...Judy and Randy....I thought your comment was a little passive aggressive. Why so much anger towards liberals? Hippies are people too. = )[/quote]


Hippies are people too................so is Charles Manson.

Passive/agressive, WTF is that ? Must be some liberal double speak.

I wouldn't mind Liberals if they didn't vote. I could then put up with their obnoxious slant of the World. But since they actually believe is such cons as Global Warming caused by humans......well then they are just gullible robots. Sad, really sad.