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You don't even have to talk to anyone to get the vibe that the Raleigh-Durham area is somewhat liberal. It's in the appearance of the people. A lot of the residents don't look conservative. Some will say that you can't tell if someone is conservative or liberal on appearance alone, but I'd say that you can in most instances.
They actually did a study on this a few years back. College students were supposed to guess if low-level politicians, or other college students, were conservative or liberal based upon looks alone (only white people were used). People could very accurately determine the political stance of a person just by their face.
It's not as ridiculous as it sounds. Studies of twins suggest significant proportion of political stances (particularly on social issues) are essentially inborn, not the result of upbringing. It may be that certain genes which have an affect on our political disposition also tend to cause certain facial features that people can pick up on.
They aren't really for progressive policies such as a a higher minimum wages, local labor unions, universal health care, womens rights, sustainability, environmental concerns, endowments for the arts, strong funding for k-12 schools, etc. w/ the exception of the large gay population. I see South Florida as more of an anything goes type of place that nobody cares what you do, can get wild, etc, but they aren't really concerned with progressive policies either. People see South Florida liberal as nobody caring what you look like, a fair share of freaks, live and let live, drinking all night, lots of strip clubs, late calls, nude beaches, a playground for celebs, that kind of thing... No huge democratic lean, but not progressive and community driven like you'll see somewhere more progressive like San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, Madison, Boston, Seattle, Alexandria, DC, Santa Cruz, Chapel Hill, Boulder, Asheville, Montgomery County etc. South Florida is not like those areas.
South Florida is pretty big on the environment. Save the manatees movements, preservation of the everglades, protection of sea turtles, etc. They take the protection of manatees VERY seriously.
In my travels -- and as a born and bred philly/nyc northerner -- I might opine that is easier to be a northerner in the south than a southerner in the north. As prevalent as the "conservative / redneck" perception is of the south, the liberal, freethinking northerner is going to be less "live and let live" than the bumpkin is in real life
The only anomalies might be non-Nashville Tennessee and Florida, but thats for another thread
That has been my experience. I was stunned by some of the attitudes I got in Philly. (Most people were kind so I wouldn't say this is representative of the entire population by any means.) One woman I was sitting next to on the bus asked me the time, I told her, then she got this nervous and notably judgemental look on her face as she asked me if I was from the South. When I said I was from Tennessee she nodded politely, but quickly got up and moved to the opposite end of the bus. Another man was so stunned that my friend's little brother is half-Latino and half-(something white?) that he started praising us for being so "progressive for Southerners" and commented on how difficult it must be. Both of us live in MULTIracial families and have plenty of other friends/neighbors who do, too. My friend tensely replied, "Actually, you're the first person to ever say anything to me about it. I never thought of loving your own flesh and blood as being especially political." It was very unpleasant and I was stunned by these incidents. Even so, I had far more positive than negative experiences so I wouldn't say it has deterred me from wanting to go back for a visit.
South Florida is pretty big on the environment. Save the manatees movements, preservation of the everglades, protection of sea turtles, etc. They take the protection of manatees VERY seriously.
Real Estate developers and politicians have also destroyed massive areas of the everglades over the last century. Regardless the issues represent a totality of views.
Real Estate developers and politicians have also destroyed massive areas of the everglades over the last century. Regardless the issues represent a totality of views.
My experience in Florida, too. The mindset I encountered was way more concerned about getting a good parking spot at the mall than boring environmental stuff. Go to Floridas Audubon website to see some of the laws that are in the house for consideration regarding re-designating preserve areas so they can be sold off to corporate interests . . . Sickening and sad at the same time
The whole reason for South Florida's density is the everglades and the reluctancy to build on it. Either way, they have really strict laws protecting certain wild life in South Florida. A man was a arrested last month for merely taking a pic with his toddler daughter and a manatee. Also the lack of offshore drilling.
The whole reason for South Florida's density is the everglades and the reluctancy to build on it. Either way, they have really strict laws protecting certain wild life in South Florida. A man was a arrested last month for merely taking a pic with his toddler daughter and a manatee. Also the lack of offshore drilling.
Florida has a lack of offshore drilling ONLY because the people in power are tied up with the tourist interests and they believe offshore drilling will be "unsightly". South Florida's density is relative and only clustered in certain areas. However, I wouldn't say they have a reluctancy to build on it. Only 50% of the original wetlands remain which is sad because it's the only area like that in the country.
some excerpts:
"The Everglades ecosystem has, in fact, been badly degraded, despite the establishment of Everglades National Park in the southern Everglades in 1947. Prominent symptoms of the ecosystem decline include an 80 percent reduction in wading bird populations since the 1930s (Ogden, 1994), the near-extinction of the Florida panther (Smith and Bass, 1994), invasions of exotic species (Bodle and others, 1994), and declining water quality in Florida Bay, which likely is due, at least in part, to decreased freshwater inflow (McIvor and others, 1994)."
Everglades Vegetation in 1900
Everglades Vegetation in 1990
USGS.GOV
Have added ~2 million people since then.
Republicans have controlled the interest in Florida at the Gubernatorial and House level for quite some time even though Florida barely goes blue in the national elections.
Florida has a lack of offshore drilling ONLY because the people in power are tied up with the tourist interests and they believe offshore drilling will be "unsightly". South Florida's density is relative and only clustered in certain areas. However, I wouldn't say they have a reluctancy to build on it. Only 50% of the original wetlands remain which is sad because it's the only area like that in the country.
some excerpts:
"The Everglades ecosystem has, in fact, been badly degraded, despite the establishment of Everglades National Park in the southern Everglades in 1947. Prominent symptoms of the ecosystem decline include an 80 percent reduction in wading bird populations since the 1930s (Ogden, 1994), the near-extinction of the Florida panther (Smith and Bass, 1994), invasions of exotic species (Bodle and others, 1994), and declining water quality in Florida Bay, which likely is due, at least in part, to decreased freshwater inflow (McIvor and others, 1994)."
Everglades Vegetation in 1900
Everglades Vegetation in 1990
USGS.GOV
Have added ~2 million people since then.
Republicans have controlled the interest in Florida at the Gubernatorial and House level for quite some time even though Florida barely goes blue in the national elections.
Large clusters of South Florida are more densley populated than the average metro.
Large clusters of South Florida are more densley populated than the average metro.
True. The area of Florida from Palm Beach County down to Miami-Dade is mostly "blue" and very densely populated.
Florida is a mixed bag. IMO it is only a swing state because of the clusters you mentioned, plus the college towns like Gainesville. I've lived in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties which are all very conservative. The government has been controlled by Republicans for many years. Just close your eyes and picture a yellow Penske truck!
Not many people down here really give a sh-- about politics honestly.
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