California most disliked state.... (buying, universities, agriculture)

[dmode]

I think there are couple of hypothesis are emerging that needs further analysis:

Hypothesis #1: "Vocal minority of extreme liberals who are intolerant" - I would say they exist only in certain areas of California. Nonetheless, vocal majority of extreme conservative and religious zealots exists elsewhere (e.g., Koran burning, cold wand inserting into vagina, banning Shari law when it doesn't exist). By the same logic they should be hated at least at the same level. Or are majority of Americans comfortable with religious extremism ?

Hypothesis #2: "Very blue state ruined by liberals" - California is not the bluest state in the US. Massachusetts and Hawaii are. They don't receive the same level of hatred

Hypothesis #3: "CA arrogance" - Most people in CA are really nice and not really arrogant. So not sure where this stereotype is from. I guess sometimes people do react when provoked (e.g., what ZhungeLiang does in this board. Here's how the conversation goes.
ZhungeLiang "CA is a s***hole and all the people are extremely intolerant ***holes".
Some CA poster retaliates "OK then, go back to your <insert slang> state". ZhungeLiang comes back "See ugly Californians, I told you so")

I truly believe that CA is hated much in the same way as US is hated abroad: Californians/Americans just don't care about other states/countries

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Who do you mean by "they?"

Domestic migration to California is less than those leaving.

The only "they" are from other countries.

Of course they flock here. Compared to the sh__ holes they came from, this is heaven.

I co-sign this. It's so super obvious.

[kanhawk]

Originally Posted by sunshine7793

Who could dislike the state?

My guess is a lot of the 44% who give California a negative rating are people who have never been there. I'd be interested to see the breakdown of that 44% with the question, "have you ever been to California?" Just my guess, but a lot of the negativity is based on a perception that Californians don't think much of "flyover" country. So some may be responding with a quid pro quo. You don't like me, OK, then I don't like you.
I agree with you, the natural beauty, the climate, the coastal lifestyle are very attractive and very hard to dislike.

[dclamb3]

Originally Posted by kanhawk

My guess is a lot of the 44% who give California a negative rating are people who have never been there. I'd be interested to see the breakdown of that 44% with the question, "have you ever been to California?" Just my guess, but a lot of the negativity is based on a perception that Californians don't think much of "flyover" country. So some may be responding with a quid pro quo. You don't like me, OK, then I don't like you.
I agree with you, the natural beauty, the climate, the coastal lifestyle are very attractive and very hard to dislike.

Agreed. Before I moved to CA the first time, all I did was dream about living in CA so I could have eternal summer. I talked about it a lot, and heard a LOT of opinions about it over the years.

My personal experience was that everyone had an opinion about CA, yet very few of them had ever been there.

I moved to CA, returned to MD to take care of things with every intention of returning to CA, so I still talk about CA now, and same situation (just fast-forward'ed many years). Everyone has an opinion, yet few have ever been there.

The opinions I personally hear most, no matter which state the person is from that I'm speaking to:

#1 CA is too materialistic (I disagree - some pockets are, as in any state, but hardly the entire state)
#2 CA is too expensive (CA is expensive, but I see it as a "sunshine" tax I'm willing to pay)
#3 No one is from CA, and everyone that moves there eventually leaves (really?)

To the 44% that hate CA, I'd love to know if they've ever lived there, or even ever stepped foot in the state. I think far too many people watch TV and confuse Hollywood with reality.

I believe in keeping an open mind. I had pre-conceived ideas about many states, but kept an open mind, visited or moved there, and found that many times, while some of the stereotypes were true to a tiny percentage, none of the stereotypes were true to even a percentage worth sneezing at. Same goes for CA.

And on that note I say, if that 44% doesn't like CA, let them stay where they are (especially the ones that are judging from afar that have never visited). No one has to like everything.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by dclamb3

My personal experience was that everyone had an opinion about CA, yet very few of them had ever been there.

Everyone has an opinion, yet few have ever been there.

Yep, certainly seems to be the case.

I've met a few who would genuinely like to visit and check out San Francisco, L.A., etc. But many of my friends and relatives back home think that a 4-hour drive to Tennessee's Smoky Mountains or 14-hour drive to Destin, Florida will take care of "expanding their horizons."

You know, I made the comment of an African-American acquaintance of mine who moved from my hometown to Louisville, KY. Now, Louisville's not that big compared to the cities of California and can be very provincial. I commented that outside of Louisville, much of the region will find "a trip to Hilton Head all the culture they ever get." He wholeheartedly agreed with me.

I even know somebody who has already told me "You're turnin' liberal, that's what California has done to you" and "Well, you'll be gay before you know it." Some of it is in jest, but some of it isn't always. Whatever.

The opinions I personally hear most, no matter which state the person is from the I'm speaking to:

#1 CA is too materialistic
#2 CA is too expensive
#3 No one is from CA, and everyone that moves there eventually leaves

To the 44% that hate CA, I'd love to know if they've ever lived there, or even ever stepped foot in the state. I think far too many people watch TV and confuse Hollywood with reality.

I will concede point #1. California can be very materialistic. However, while preeminent in some communities, it is not pervasive statewide. Find a mountain town in the Sierras, desert town outside of San Bernardino, a neighborhood full of Mexican migrant workers, or a blue-collar neighborhood in the East Bay across from SF and tell me those folks are materialistic.

However, visit Mountain Brook & Vestavia Hills in Alabama, Crestview Hills & Edgewood in Kentucky, North Indianapolis & Hamilton County in Indiana, and Gwinett County in Georgia and tell me that some of those neighborhoods and cities aren't full of materialistic snobs. The mentality can be found everywhere. The Crestview Hills/Edgewood area is in the "friendly" heartland and is full of crazy affair-engaged MILFs (hey, they can be hot!), overworked dads and entitled kids; it's one of the least friendly areas I've ever been to anywhere.

Point #2: Honestly, if you can handle rent or mortgage, and secondarily property taxes and earthquake insurance if you own property, then everything else is cake. The higher price of gasoline does not bother me, and I'm a po sch-muck.

Point #3: I'll concede that it's rare that I meet multi-generational native Californians. As in, "my family's been here since 1900." However, I do meet a blend of natives, long-time residents and transplants.

I will admit, many of the people under the age of 35 really seem to try to live up to the whole society/media peer pressure hype. That is, "fleeced" cars (leased, for those of you in Rio Linda), flashy clothes, bad driving habits, and finding it beneath them to say "thank you" or "excuse me" to anyone. And females are faaaar worse about this in my experience than the males; the males, in my opinion, are just adapting to their surroundings so they can get laid. Not all, maybe not even a majority, but many of the "under 35s" carry this falsely-confident, narcissistic attitude. Also, some particular groups of immigrants aren't exactly friendly (Indian and Middle Eastern, anyone?!)

For the most part, however, Californians are pretty normal folks that don't find Hollywood or extreme SF/Santa Barbara/Santa Cruz/Berkeley/West L.A. "progressivism" to be their lifestyle choice. I've found the friendliest people to generally come from certain immigrant groups (many East Asians), some college students (before some probably take on the narcissism described in the last paragraph), recent transplants, the homeless, and middle-aged people (ages 35-60). I've also found SoCal, away from L.A. and some of the coastal cities, to be a bit friendlier than the Bay Area, and I could be moving down to SoCal in a few months partially for that reason.

[mayorhaggar]

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

derp derp terk are jerbs damn librulz etc

You don't say!

[Sherbet]

I'm not even Californian, but I think hating an entire state is stupid.

[Judy P.]

Come on people California is part of the U S.A , I find it really amazing that we have preconceived ideas of people in any states. We as a people move around this country more than any country in the world. We are a melting pot, and believe me California has more people coming here from other states than any. We are so use to generalizing and unfortunately it is almost a joke. PLEASE let's all see we are lucky enough to live in the U.S.A. faults and all without picking each other apart!!!

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

You don't say!

Did you need someone to refill your water dish?

Where did I say anything about liberals? Your ability to MOD CUT

[SyraBrian]

Hawaii is bluer than California and is the most popular state in the union.

Guess the right wing sound machine needs to work on gettting the Hawaii hate out!

Hope you all start balancing the budget and getting people back to work. That ought to shut up the naysayers!