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Nashville is definitely not a "red" city. The city has not had a Republican mayor in any of our lifetimes. It's the same blue donut hole in a sea of red as any of the other prosperous and growing city of a considerable size in the Southeast. Now, the suburbs are beet red, but none of those areas are even remotely "hip" outside of perhaps downtown Franklin (which is way more "charming" than "hip," IMO.). But all the "hip" areas of the city like East Nashville, Hillsboro Village, 12South, etc. are going to be left-leaning with maybe somewhat of a libertarian presence. I seem to recall seeing quite a few Ron Paul stickers in the popular in-town areas during the last presidential election cycle. Even the fiscal conservative urbanites that I know here tend to be more moderate when it comes to the social politics (e.g., LGBT rights, immigration, etc.). The one issue that I think even the left-leaning people here seem sort of conservative on in my experience seems to be gun rights. I know quite a few people who vote blue here who also seem to support gun rights (mostly people who have grown up with guns and/or hunting households).
Simply put, I've never spent a significant amount of time in any city that was not mostly left-leaning. I just think most urbanites are constantly exposed to more a cross-section of people and ideas. So most urbanites are not going to put up with some of the dated social conservatism that's generally born out of lack of exposure and/or appreciation for people of different walks of life. If you must live in a "hip" part of a city, then chances are you're going to have to learn to deal with the fact that most people will not agree with your politics.
Nashville is definitely not a "red" city. The city has not had a Republican mayor in any of our lifetimes. It's the same blue donut hole in a sea of red as any of the other prosperous and growing city of a considerable size in the Southeast. Now, the suburbs are beet red, but none of those areas are even remotely "hip" outside of perhaps downtown Franklin (which is way more "charming" than "hip," IMO.). But all the "hip" areas of the city like East Nashville, Hillsboro Village, 12South, etc. are going to be left-leaning with maybe somewhat of a libertarian presence. I seem to recall seeing quite a few Ron Paul stickers in the popular in-town areas during the last presidential election cycle. Even the fiscal conservative urbanites that I know here tend to be more moderate when it comes to the social politics (e.g., LGBT rights, immigration, etc.). The one issue that I think even the left-leaning people here seem sort of conservative on in my experience seems to be gun rights. I know quite a few people who vote blue here who also seem to support gun rights (mostly people who have grown up with guns and/or hunting households).
Simply put, I've never spent a significant amount of time in any city that was not mostly left-leaning. I just think most urbanites are constantly exposed to more a cross-section of people and ideas. So most urbanites are not going to put up with some of the dated social conservatism that's generally born out of lack of exposure and/or appreciation for people of different walks of life. If you must live in a "hip" part of a city, then chances are you're going to have to learn to deal with the fact that most people will not agree with your politics.
Digressing a bit here, but on a road trip I took from O.C. to Miami, then up Florida through the south/midwest to Denver and back, we made a short pit stop in Nashville, mostly to fill up on gas and cruise (we were behind schedule as it was). On first sight alone I felt that Nashville was a place I needed to go back to and check out for its own sake. The energy of the place was palpable, and the only other place I can say that about the south is New Orleans. It felt uniquely American in the best ways possible. (On the other hand, my friends and I weren't very impressed by Miami/Florida in general, with the exception of Key West and Fort Lauderdale - the people in both places were genuine and down to earth.)
The city has not had a Republican mayor in any of our lifetimes.
Aries, has anyone done a voting study that pulls out the African American vote? My guess is the white votes are pretty evenly divided. Sure there are hip and interesting Black Nashvillians but I think the typical AA resident lives a pretty mundane life, probably a churchgoer, and votes solidly Democrat.
Why not be proud that you have a city where Republicans like to kick up their heels.
I think OKC is the only true major red "city". The entire metro including the central city is red. I don't think any of the others on the original list would have an actual red city.
OKC is red however if you look at the precincts map, there are several blue areas downtown, and immediately N and NW of downtown. Again, Oklahoma county covers a huge territory including exurbs in some cases. Overall, OKC is conservative with even more conservative suburbs. A republican would feel at home in OKC. OKC is socially conservative so almost everyone goes to church. That is a major outing durning the week.
As for "coolness," Bricktown (Dowtown OKC)is about as cool as it gets. It's nice with a good restaurant scene and a decent bar scene. KD (OKC thunder) opened up a new restaurant in Bricktown with incredible food and a nice atmosphere. If you are young, Norman (OKC suburb) has the typical college campus crowd scene. Prescints around campus went heavily for Obama however Cleveland county goes strongly for republicans. With that said, OKC continues to progress and there are many more options for entertainment downtown than 10 years ago. Things continue to improve and get better. OKC is becoming more "cool."
What the OP wants contradicts itself. I can't think of a place. Maybe live in Ft. Worth, it's pretty cool down there and conservative. Travel to Dallas for other "cool" activities.
Anyone that thinks there has been only heart for Democrats should know the answer to this question: What administration was the last to run budget surpluses?
The Clinton administration. I apologize if I debunked two mythological slogans used by the right there. Facts are facts!
I always laugh at the Republicans who think they're the party of "fiscal responsibility" and economic prosperity.
I'll give republicans one thing - they're way better at shouting the loudest. And repeating misinformation until it sinks into the conscious of the American public!
I always laugh at the Republicans who think they're the party of "fiscal responsibility" and economic prosperity.
I'll give republicans one thing - they're way better at shouting the loudest. And repeating misinformation until it sinks into the conscious of the American public!
On the national level, Republicans are no longer a party for reasonable adults, but for petulant nut jobs. It's scary that half the country votes for them.
Aries, has anyone done a voting study that pulls out the African American vote? My guess is the white votes are pretty evenly divided. Sure there are hip and interesting Black Nashvillians but I think the typical AA resident lives a pretty mundane life, probably a churchgoer, and votes solidly Democrat.
I'm sure you can track that sort of information down fairly easily for major elections. Regardless, I'm not sure how this matters. It's not as if you can simply take the racial and ethnic minorities or any other groups out of a place to make it seem "redder."
Also, the overwhelming majority of people in any city I've ever spent time in are rather "mundane" regardless of their race. I'm likewise confused as to how this is relevant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by creeksitter
Why not be proud that you have a city where Republicans like to kick up their heels.
I'm proud that anyone regardless of their political affiliations enjoys "kicking up their heels" in Nashville. I find it to be a politically moderate city overall and not super politically engaged (which can be both good and bad at times). Political debates with people in daily life seem fairly rare here to me. As far as I'm concerned, all are welcomed here if they're willing to treat other individuals with the respect they deserve. I'm also sure my view of Nashville, as someone who spends 99% of his time in Davidson County, is going to be completely different from someone who spends most of their time in a suburb or satellite town.
I was simply pointing out that, despite the sort of stereotypical images people conjure up of Nashville, the city has the same "blue donut hole in a sea of red" pattern as most large Southern metros. Heck, the mayor is a classic liberal from the Northeast who focuses on major project after major project. He was in Memphis just today touting that that "talent, tech, tolerance & transit make great cities." Also, the overwhelming majority of the areas being lauded in national press for their restaurants, coffee shops and venues tend to be some of the bluest parts of the city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RudyOD
Digressing a bit here, but on a road trip I took from O.C. to Miami, then up Florida through the south/midwest to Denver and back, we made a short pit stop in Nashville, mostly to fill up on gas and cruise (we were behind schedule as it was). On first sight alone I felt that Nashville was a place I needed to go back to and check out for its own sake. The energy of the place was palpable, and the only other place I can say that about the south is New Orleans. It felt uniquely American in the best ways possible. (On the other hand, my friends and I weren't very impressed by Miami/Florida in general, with the exception of Key West and Fort Lauderdale - the people in both places were genuine and down to earth.)
I'm glad you enjoyed your pit stop. Nashville is definitely starting to come into its own and the energy is indeed palpable. Make sure to check out areas other than downtown on your next visit. I think sometimes visitors are so focused on the touristy stuff that the miss all the burgeoning neighborhoods that are more popular with locals.
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