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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,788,565 times
Reputation: 11862
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Well I know the cause, which is transplants from NY.etc, but I'm curious as to why the same thing didn't happen to say Upstate NY? Why is Vermont more liberal than Upstate NY, for instance? And what made New England unique in this regard? Especially since historically, New England was a bastion of Puritanism. Vermont seems no less liberal than Boston, for instance, yet it's one of the most rural states. Why didn't similar movements happen in say the rural West, except for Northern California?
I don't know much about living in the area, though while spending 2 weeks in and around Conway, NH found 4 country stations on the radio and saw many atv's parked in front of the Wal-mart with many shoppers walking around the store in full hunter's camo. Hunting and fishing seemed huge around there and MA was called "Taxachussetts" often. It seemed like there was a rural conservative thing going on there that wasn't known to me before visiting.
Well I know the cause, which is transplants from NY.etc, but I'm curious as to why the same thing didn't happen to say Upstate NY? Why is Vermont more liberal than Upstate NY, for instance? And what made New England unique in this regard? Especially since historically, New England was a bastion of Puritanism. Vermont seems no less liberal than Boston, for instance, yet it's one of the most rural states. Why didn't similar movements happen in say the rural West, except for Northern California?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cacto
I don't know much about living in the area, though while spending 2 weeks in and around Conway, NH found 4 country stations on the radio and saw many atv's parked in front of the Wal-mart with many shoppers walking around the store in full hunter's camo. Hunting and fishing seemed huge around there and MA was called "Taxachussetts" often. It seemed like there was a rural conservative thing going on there that wasn't known to me before visiting.
You can't paint all of rural New England with one brush, as these two posts show. VT's reputation for being liberal, and NH's reputation for being the Northeast's only "red state" (even though it hasn't voted red in a prez election for 12 years now).
My understanding is the "liberals" who "took over" Vermont moved there because it was a small state, so fewer of them could have a bigger influence in state government than if they were in a big state like NY. Not sure if that's true or a local urban legend.
Not sure where you are getting this from. I've come across white power groups in VT. People in NH were some of the most right winged people I have come across. Same with rural upstate NY. Where the population centers are in upstate NY aren't conservative at all.
Well I know the cause, which is transplants from NY.etc, but I'm curious as to why the same thing didn't happen to say Upstate NY? Why is Vermont more liberal than Upstate NY, for instance? And what made New England unique in this regard? Especially since historically, New England was a bastion of Puritanism. Vermont seems no less liberal than Boston, for instance, yet it's one of the most rural states. Why didn't similar movements happen in say the rural West, except for Northern California?
Much of the rural West is largely influenced by Mormonism that spread from its roots in Utah. Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, California, and Arizona all have large Mormon populations relative to their overall population. It is counterbalanced in California by the liberal influence of cities like San Francisco and Oakland.
Perhaps they are actually moderates but falsely labeled liberals due to the extreme religious right that has taken over the rural south, midwest and west.
Perhaps they are actually moderates but falsely labeled liberals due to the extreme religious right that has taken over the rural south, midwest and west.
The "extreme religious right" did not "take over" the rural South, Midwest, and West, they have always been there. The thing is, it used to be that the majority of this country was religious and conservative. It's nothing new, those are just the areas where it still remains the cultural norm. Harvard University was originally founded for the purpose of training Congregationalist Clergy, Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams as a colony for those with other religious views than the Puritans, and Maryland was founded as a haven for Roman Catholics in the New World. The New England states have simply pulled away from what were originally deeply religious roots for whatever reasons.
One of many reasons why I have no desire to ever live in any of the New England states, but to each their own.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,788,565 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by garmin239
Not sure where you are getting this from. I've come across white power groups in VT. People in NH were some of the most right winged people I have come across. Same with rural upstate NY. Where the population centers are in upstate NY aren't conservative at all.
Yeah but they're right wing in a libertarian way, as in their state motto 'live free or die' no in the restrictive social conservative religious way of the Deep South.
The "extreme religious right" did not "take over" the rural South, Midwest, and West, they have always been there. The thing is, it used to be that the majority of this country was religious and conservative. It's nothing new, those are just the areas where it still remains the cultural norm. Harvard University was originally founded for the purpose of training Congregationalist Clergy, Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams as a colony for those with other religious views than the Puritans, and Maryland was founded as a haven for Roman Catholics in the New World. The New England states have simply pulled away from what were originally deeply religious roots for whatever reasons.
One of many reasons why I have no desire to ever live in any of the New England states, but to each their own.
It has certainly taken over the politics of the south, midwest and west. It's that extreme, in your face "we want to limit your freedoms but don't touch ours". That began in the 90s and has since gotten worse and worse, and politicians began pandering to you folks, who then followed them like sheep. While the right has gone more right, the moderates of New England became falsely accused as "liberal", when in reality, the region couldn't be more truely traditional and moderate.
The fact that you feel the need to have scores of ultra-religious conservatives backing you as you go about your daily life solidifies my opinion re: "sheep".
Oh and PS - Maryland is not New England.
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