Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
In the South, North Carolina is the only state that is completely controlled by the Democrats. Its Governor is a Dem. Its Lt Governor is a Dem. Its state Senate and Legislature are all contolled by Democrats. This is not a new phenom either. It's status quo. While the Dems in NC aren't Massachusetts style Dems, they aren't Texas style Republicans either. While I believe that NC typically remains fairly balanced politically over time, it's the only state in the Southern US without a marriage amendment banning gay marriage. As the nations #1 tobacco producing state, it's going smoke free in all public places in Jan. 2010. NC has one of the strongest anti-bullying laws for schools in the nation that even protects kids from harassment due to gender identity. All of these are not typical for the South and are due to the state being run by the Democrats. So, while the state is very moderate, it's clearly the most liberal politically.
I live in both Florida and NC and can tell you that, while Miami is clearly more liberal socially, the state of Florida is much more conservative compared to NC. It's a strange situation but true.
You have a point. They did once have Jesse Helms though. Still North Carolina might be equal or above Virginia.
(Florida I don't consider a Southern state. Plus if you limit to the people born in Florida I think it might come out a bit less liberal)
You have a point. They did once have Jesse Helms though. Still North Carolina might be equal or above Virginia.
(Florida I don't consider a Southern state. Plus if you limit to the people born in Florida I think it might come out a bit less liberal)
First to the Jesse Helms thing:
Jesse Helms was certainly an embarassment to almost half the state who hated him. Interestingly, while Senator No was in Washington on NC's behalf, the state moved increasingly progressive. Of course he had influence in NC but no real political power because he didn't vote as a state level politician. His right wing credentials have seemed to have had more influence outside the state than they have had inside the state. But, that's just my impression. Since Jesse, there really haven't been any nationally viable/visible right wing politicians to emerge from the state. While he was able to introduce an ultra-conservative voice to NC's politics, he was unable to wrestle the state away from the Democrats. When Jesse would be re-elected each time, those of us who hated him would take comfort in knowing that "at least" he wasn't in the state. When he died, the news media made a big deal of it but that's about it. I was in Raleigh the day of his funeral. What was interesting about that day was the fact that nobody seemed to care he died. The police had figured that there might be supporters and protestors along the path of his funeral procession. They were concerned about managing that situation. Well, as it turned out, there was almost no reaction to the funeral whatsoever. To me, that was a good thing. It said to me that the state moved on from the days of Jesse Helms.
As for Florida not being a Southern State, I have to disagree whole heartedly. Sure South Florida is not traditionally Southern but the Northern half of the state feels VERY traditionally Southern. Politically, Florida is one of the most conservative states with its "social" values laws deeply rooted in the South.
In the South, North Carolina is the only state that is completely controlled by the Democrats. Its Governor is a Dem. Its Lt Governor is a Dem. Its state Senate and Legislature are all contolled by Democrats. This is not a new phenom either. It's status quo. While the Dems in NC aren't Massachusetts style Dems, they aren't Texas style Republicans either. While I believe that NC typically remains fairly balanced politically over time, it's the only state in the Southern US without a marriage amendment banning gay marriage. As the nations #1 tobacco producing state, it's going smoke free in all public places in Jan. 2010. NC has one of the strongest anti-bullying laws for schools in the nation that even protects kids from harassment due to gender identity. All of these are not typical for the South and are due to the state being run by the Democrats. So, while the state is very moderate, it's clearly the most liberal politically.
I live in both Florida and NC and can tell you that, while Miami is clearly more liberal socially, the state of Florida is much more conservative compared to NC. It's a strange situation but true.
The choice of Greensboro,NC as the site of the first sit-in in the US was not accidental. For somewhat self explanatory reasons, they wanted a southern state and Greensboro and environs were founded by Quakers. In the 1800's it had been a hub of the underground railroad. It still has several colleges and Universities, as southern cities go, it may be a bit better educated than most. Greensboro was chosen because, for a southern city in that day and time, it was deemed the one wherein the people who sat-in would have the best chance of getting out alive.
Is it just me or does this place at times seem a bit obsessed with the South? I mean there are threads on other regions, but it seems like the South gets the most attention.
Or do you think I'm being silly and that say "what's the most conservative New England state?" would get the same attention.
Is it just me or does this place at times seem a bit obsessed with the South? I mean there are threads on other regions, but it seems like the South gets the most attention.
Or do you think I'm being silly and that say "what's the most conservative New England state?" would get the same attention.
The South is the most populated region in the nation and it's the region of the country that continues to have rapid population growth. These might be contributing factors to how much the South is talked about in these forums.
As for liberal and conservative, I think it might be far more interesting to discuss the differences between liberalism and conservatism among the variety of regions in this country. For instance, I imagine what constitutes a typical conservative in Connecticut is different from what consitutes a typical conservative in Mississippi.
Is it just me or does this place at times seem a bit obsessed with the South? I mean there are threads on other regions, but it seems like the South gets the most attention.
Or do you think I'm being silly and that say "what's the most conservative New England state?" would get the same attention.
Just as an aside, in case you were wondering: NH is probably the most conservative New England state..
Perhaps, although one could easily make the argument that as far as the South goes, it's obviously Florida followed by North Carolina or Virginia.
This is of course due to a massive influx of Northerners.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When he died, the news media made a big deal of it but that's about it. I was in Raleigh the day of his funeral. What was interesting about that day was the fact that nobody seemed to care he died. The police had figured that there might be supporters and protestors along the path of his funeral procession. They were concerned about managing that situation. Well, as it turned out, there was almost no reaction to the funeral whatsoever. To me, that was a good thing. It said to me that the state moved on from the days of Jesse Helms.
