Is Texas really as conservative/narrow-minded as people say it is? (Houston: house, place to live)

[love roses]

Don't worry about this one, I'm not about to take myself down that liberal road. And if liberal means open minded as is so often said then a liberal will not call me narrow minded because I happen to be conservative (open mind to everything right?) They would be open minded to having a pro lifer next door and wouldn't slam ANY religion that believes in a higher power. I don't see this happen a lot in liberal enclaves either, so I wouldn't call liberal "open minded" above a conservative.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Liberal means open minded. It isn't just a political identification or political party.

Many parts of Texas can be really narrow minded usually truly conservative people and areas.

I'm not so sure about that. Liberals may be progressive, but from my experience, they are just as close-minded as anyone else. I had quite a few native San Franciscans end conversations instantly and blow me off when I said I was from Texas. It seems to me that liberals aren't open-minded, just anti-conservative. (BTW, I don't identify with a party; I don't fit in a political box.)

[D-Towner]

Judging your original post, anything that doesn't correspond to your views will be seen as narrow minded.

[Spade]

I wouldn't want Texas to become very liberal. I also do not want Texas to stay a staunch conservative. I would like for Texas to become moderate and that is the way it starting to lean. Sometimes it leans left, sometimes right. If you want to play the color game, I would like for it to become a purple state.

[simpleharmonicmotion]

I agree with above. I really hope Texas does not turn into California. Seeing all of these out of state license plates (especially from blue states) makes me nervous. There are some Republican political things that I do not agree with, but I do not think by any measure that being a Liberal means being "progressive" or "free thinking." As a Hispanic woman, some of the most overt racism I've experienced as been in California and the Northeast. Keep in mind that I speak fluent American english and I don't look (at least to me) to be anything but at least middle class. I've grown up in Texas and I can tell people just see another American person when they see me. I dont look like a day laborer or something. That was not the case in Cali and the Northeast where it seemed like if you were Hispanic looking at all you were instantly deemed a prole. I feel at home here and I don't want it ruined by people who think government handouts is the way to win votes. Are there things I would change about the current Republican party? Absolutely. But Texas has a unique liberitarian feel that makes it so special. I would hate for it to lose that.

[artsyguy]

That is not a real liberal if they are closed minded or non-progressive.

Originally Posted by Westerner92

I'm not so sure about that. Liberals may be progressive, but from my experience, they are just as close-minded as anyone else. I had quite a few native San Franciscans end conversations instantly and blow me off when I said I was from Texas. It seems to me that liberals aren't open-minded, just anti-conservative. (BTW, I don't identify with a party; I don't fit in a political box.)

[loudes13]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

That is not a real liberal if they are closed minded or non-progressive.

You have a point, just like myself. I align myself with conservative beliefs, but am technically very progressive (small p), more of a Constitutionalist. We try to paint each other into boxes way too much.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Sandy Springs Rep.

I started this thread not to bash Texas, but to get some legitimate opinions from people who live in or have been to Texas. I admit, I have somewhat of a prejeduce against Texas for various reasons, but reading what people say on this forum has greatly changed my mind and I do not dislike it as much anymore.

It seems like Texas has a reputation for being very conservative, politically (more so than other southern states) and very "tough" and "competitive", I guess you'd say. My biggest question is, is this accurate? Is it really any more conservative than other states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, etc.? I used to think that it very much was, but the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that Texas a very diverse, complex state, with many different demographic factors, and you can't generalize a state with 24 million people (2nd most populous state in the country) in any way.

So obviously, like any other state, Texas has many different geographic regions and areas that are all different. So my question for Texans is, when you compare apples to apples, are big cities in Texas (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, etc.) more conservative than big cities in other states? Are small towns in Texas more conservative/narrow-minded than other small towns? Are metropolitan areas as whole (Dallas and Houston) more conservative than other metropolitan areas as a whole? This is what has intrigued me the most.

Again, this is not an anti-Texas thread, I'm geniunely interested in the perspectives of people who have spent a significant amount of time in Texas.

Is it more conservative than OK? Obviously not, OK was one of two states that every precinct voted repulican in 2008. Is it conservative, yes, most of the state is, but certainly not Austin as well as a few other cities. I am somewhat confused to why you would put "narrow minded' in the same catagory as conservative? There are all kinds of conservatives: social, fiscal, just to mention a few. One can be conservative when it comes to their $$ and still be, say open to the gay life style, just to give you an example..Some are pro life but believe in legalizing Pot for instance.

Anyone who thinks conservatives are normally lower class, or working class needs to look at the precincts that vote conservatively..I don't think I would tell people living in some of the Dallas burbs they were uneducated or lower class, including my kids and their friends. And I question anyone thinking Texas will go democrat next election..

Nita

[Kibby]

These threads are always humorous. The non-Texans just can't grasp the size and diversity of Texas. There are always the stereotype statements.

Check out the Presidential election results for Texas. and the Texas Governors.

Reagan didn't "turn Texas red" - Governor Dolph Briscoe (Dem) was a crook, he and his cronies got caught in the Sharpstown Banking scandal, that's what brought Texas it's first Republican Governor in over 100 years. Texas has had only 6 Republican Governors. IF there is ever a really good Libertarian candidate with a good platform, Texas will go Libertarian. It's actually closer to Texas political philosophy than anything else.

Texas is basically fiscally conservative, even the "liberals" tend to be that way. There are a lot of social conservatives but that's the case in every state in the rural areas - we have a lot of rural area. Not all the cities are "liberal" or vote Democratic in elections. Tarrant county (Fort Worth) is very Republican, there are other good sized cities the same way. Dallas and Houston recently went blue, but not overwhelmingly. Austin is the most red city in Texas and has been for a long time but even Austin was red in 2000. All those old hippies , and one of the largest universities in the country. Take a good look at the Presidential maps for both 2000/2004. This entire country is mostly "red" - the big cities are "blue" and that's about it. It's also why Far Left Liberals have a tough time getting elected Nationally. Not saying it can't happen , but when it happens it's usually because the country was scammed and didn't really know what they were voting for. Regardless of what the youth of today say -- I don't think the USA wants to go down the Socialist path or the One World path with the United Nations leading us. I can tell you for sure that Texans won't ever go along with that.

As far as elections go - we have a big attitude of "throw the bums out". If an elected official seems to be doing a decent job - he keeps his job. IF not, he/she gets replaced. It doesn't come fast sometimes but it usually comes. Notice that Craddick is no longer speaker and he was the most powerful man in Texas.

Texas has always been "progressive" in a literal sense - Governor M.A. Ferguson (Ma) is a prime example of that. She was the elected in 1925 (the first elected female Governor in the US) on platform of anti-prohibition (she was a tee-totaler) and anti- KKK (Texas was a reconstruction state). She was a fiscal conservative. She was elected again in 1933.

When you talk about "social conservative", people usually mean religion. We have a strong hispanic population, they are largely Catholic. That's not liberal. Hispanics won't turn Texas liberal. I agree with many others that Texas politics have changed somewhat do to our influx of yankees but I doubt it will change much about the way we vote. We are not much for "group think" or kool-aid.

At the end of the day - it's still going to boil down to character and what a politician actually does, as opposed to what they say. Down here, we don't care what your religion is, we don't care what your color is - we care about what YOU are. You the person, not the label.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Kibby

I agree with many others that Texas politics have changed somewhat do to our influx of yankees but I doubt it will change much about the way we vote. We are not much for "group think" or kool-aid.

At the end of the day - it's still going to boil down to character and what a politician actually does, as opposed to what they say. Down here, we don't care what your religion is, we don't care what your color is - we care about what YOU are. You the person, not the label.

Admirably said. We don't particularly care about "party lines" here. We care about the candidate and the issue.