Conservatives (Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester: living in, versus, move to)

[Cruz Azul Guy]

southernsmoke, so are you thinking about moving here and looking for some feedback on what other transplants from southern states feel about the area or are you already living here and looking to vent with other people who are feeling your same frustrations?

[southernsmoke]

Originally Posted by audadvnc

But there are local public policies you want to influence, i.e. change, because you hate them (gays/labor/taxes/etc). Why not stay in the smoky south where the policies are what you already agree with, and not what you hate? Again, why should you care how we live our lives here, so much you want to change them and dictate your preferences to everybody else?

I was amused that SS tarred me as a "liberal" based on my argument that, in modern civilization, tolerance for others is a virtue. Besides - and here's a free lesson for you: in Minnesota, "liberal" is not considered a cuss word.

First of all, I "tarred" you as a liberal because I have read many of your posts in other threads. Second, if tolerance is a virtue, you have work to do.

Third, maybe I do "hate" the public policies. But you suggested that I hated "anybody not like [me]." Why not stay in the South? Well, any number of reasons could influence a person to move. I would rather not get into the personal specifics in a public forum, but if it was 100% about politics, I certainly would stay in the South (and maybe I will). Why care about how you live your life? I don't really. I would care about the choices that Minnesota's elected (or whatever they are--I'm looking at you, Franken) representatives make if I were to move to Minnesota. Therefore, I want to know how much conservatives in the area feel like they have a voice. I'm not sure what the problem with that is.

And Slig, I am considering moving to MSP... but not to audadvnc's neighborhood. Good grief.

[Dontbewillful]

Hopefully not to mine either. My neighborhood is drama-free, all of my neighbors get along regardless of their political viewpoints, and we like it that way!

Please, can we get back to talking about Minneapolis without slinging mud on either side? This is starting to read like the Strib's comments section.

[nick is rulz]

Depends on the area entirely. MN is labeled as being quite blue, but I think a lot of that is swayed by Duluth and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Outside of the general metro areas, the voters tend to be more of a 'pro-union' electorate. Of course, that tends to run parallel with the Democratic candidate. A lot of people in rural areas tend to be otherwise fairly socially conservative.

It is labeled as a very liberal state...but its all relative. A suburb like Lakeville vs South Minneapolis would be a pretty stark difference politically. I think it depends on the county and city you live in. The south of the river suburbs would be a decent fit if you lean to the right.

[northstar22]

*** I am not a liberal (politically moderate / increasingly apathetic) ***

Honestly, you probably won't feel very comfortable in Minnesota. While there are a few conservatives here (as elsewhere), moderate to moderately-liberal views predominate and the state is nothing like the culturally-conservative South. Minnesota isn't extremely liberal like San Francisco or Portland, but it isn't conservative, either. You will be in for a huge culture shock up here. Even places like the Dakotas, which are more Republican, aren't as socially conservative as the South.

If you want a colder climate, why not look into Kansas City or Wichita? Both have a Southern, conservative outlook while getting colder weather than the true South.

[Camden Northsider]

I'm sure there are plenty of areas in Michele Bachmann's district where you would be very comfortable/happy. Or find out which areas Tom Emmer is polling really strongly in. Otherwise, have you given South Dakota (or maybe Montana or Wyoming) any serious consideration?

[southernsmoke]

Thank you for the thoughts.

FWIW though, I'm not interested in Kansas City, SD, etc... I am not unhappy where I am. I am only considering MSP.

[KillaVibe786]

It doesn't really have to anything with North vs. South? I mean if you live in Atlanta, the city is comparable to Minneapolis in terms of being liberal. I believe this would be the case with most major cities any where they are located in the US.

In the Twin Cities, if you go outside the 2 major metro it is a majority republicans.

Everything You Believe About Minnesota Is Wrong « The Greenroom

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by southernsmoke

Are there any conservative southern transplants out there living in the Minneapolis area? If so, what has your experience been in the Twin Cities? Compare the realities of life in a cold blue state to those of life in a milder red state.

An interesting topic ... I'm a moderately liberal northern transplant in Atlanta, and I think Georgia needs a little liberal sanity, but more than that, Georgia needs some sort of cohesive and assertive government of ANY form at the state level.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by KillaVibe786

It doesn't really have to anything with North vs. South? I mean if you live in Atlanta, the city is comparable to Minneapolis in terms of being liberal. I believe this would be the case with most major cities any where they are located in the US.

As a Twin Cities native who has been in the Atlanta area for six years now, I'd say suburban Atlanta is considerably more conservative than the suburban Twin Cities. The area I live in (southern Cobb) is relatively mixed in terms of politics, but there are areas here and there where I've heard conservative opinions that shock me.

It's one thing to criticize Obama, for example, but quite another to question his patriotism or citizenship.