I live in Alabama and I can't stand it anymore.

[unhinged1]

As a white male progressive, I am going absolutely bonkers in this place. Would you believe that almost all of our state representatives were uncontested Republicans on the ballot?! I just need to move to a state like California, or possibly in New England (though probably not due to the weather). The main thing holding me back is the fact that I have all my "roots" here...all my family, all my support structure, friends, etc. There are plenty of normal people here like you would find in any decent place, but even people who I knew back in the day who you'd assume would be rational players went off the deep in and are constantly filling my Facebook up full of Fox news rants!

[patrice]

1. I live in Kansas and I understand.

[Arugula Latte]

2. That must be so isolating.

I'm sorry -- that sounds like a nightmare.

I want to get this book, "The Big Sort," about how we self-select into areas where there are like-minded people. I know my husband and I did that when we choose to live in Portland, Ore. years ago.

http://www.thebigsort.com/home.php

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. If you chose to move

Stay in a major urban center in Cali, trust me on this.

[unhinged1]

6. thanks I love SF

[nichomachus]

46. Bring plenty of money

SF isn't for the light of wallet. Rents are sky high. Home prices are over the moon.

Having said that, I love it. Spent election night watching returns in The Castro. Awesome -- just awesome.

All the bars were packed -- some had lines. They shut down Castro Street and had a large-screen TV. It was like freaking New Year's Eve.

[eissa]

14. Yup, I'm in a redder part of CA

and although it's split pretty evenly, the red part is pretty ugly. The poster children of "we're havin our freedoms taken away by a muslim kenyan marxist!" If it wasn't for the other half keeping me sane, I'd probably feel like unhinged1.

[Liberal Veteran]

4. I feel your pain.

I love Georgia, but I couldn't stand it and moved away to Washington State.

I miss living in the Piedmont region.

[unhinged1]

5. I feel like someone is suffocating me!

[scheming daemons]

7. move to NC where you can make a difference

Not to far from home... but trending toward blue.

Weather is decent too...

[MynameisBlarney]

28. I'm from NC

originally, and I miss the hell outta my state.
And the Fish Camps.
I miss those too.

[clyrc]

8. I've lived in rural north Florida for 3 months now

To say that there are things about it that depress me mightily is putting it mildly.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

19. But there are other things about North Florida I love....

....it can be very beautiful.

And hopefully some of the people there will change for the better to match the natural scenery.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

51. Oh wow...I live in blue

Palm Beach County and still run into more wing nuts than I would like...you have my deepest sympathies.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. I'm In L A. Now But Orlando Is A Blue City With Great Weather And Great People

And you are still in the south, at least geographically.

[demwing]

26. Same with Tampa/St Petersburg

St Pete is an awesome place. Very blue, very arts oriented.

[unhinged1]

10. When I travel

When I travel, and someone asks me where I'm from, I'm soooooo embarrassed to tell the truth! I feel almost like I'm admitting to something inherently horrible!

[northoftheborder]

37. me too. I eventually have to talk about politics, because the group I ...

....usually travel (Road Scholar) with are predominantly Democrats, and they are automatically suspicious of anyone from Texas.

[CJCRANE]

11. The problem may be facebook...

I have a couple of friends who are perfectly fine in real life but their FB pages are a real eye opener (one for political stuff, the other posts lots of attention-seeking stuff about personal problems).

Our pre-facebook friendships were fine but I have a slighlty different view of them now. If I could go back I would just use facebook as a mailbox and not look at all the interminable status updates.

[Barack_America]

62. You can hide their updates.

I've had to do that with several people.

[CJCRANE]

67. Thanks, I'll do that.

It's ironic to get in touch with someone after so many years...then block all their news and views!

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

12. i left alabama 17years ago...

... For sunny California. I have never regretted it. I do visit often and love my family and friends here. Also live my new extended a blue friends too!

[unhinged1]

16. lucky!

[Fawke Em]

13. Challenge them.

Ask one or two or more to vow not to watch Fox News for a week - or listen to ANY conservative media. Tell them to only listen to progressive news like MSNBC or Current and read only The Nation or Mother Jones. If they have access to satellite radio, have them tune into Sirius Left.

Tell them that you will, in turn, listen and watch and read all their sources.

Here's what will happen: yes, you will be sickened by what you hear, see and read, but, as a liberal, you are able to determine truth from spin - it's part of the reason WHY most liberals are liberal; however, your conservative friends will NOT be able to come up with talking points and spin to combat what they're seeing, reading and hearing on left-leaning information sites. Without Faux News, they'll have to listen and comprehend what's being said and discussed and it won't be combated with some made-up bullshit. Some of the brainwash will slowly start to melt away.

I've personally seen this happen and it's amazing!

(I live in Tennessee, so I completely understand.)

[BlancheSplanchnik]

72. sounds like a great strategy!

the ones I know (thank god, not many) would NEVER agree to something so sane and reasonable, though.

[stopbush]

15. Moving to CA won't end the Faux News rants on your FB page.

But the weather is great out here, and it's also easier to unfriend people on FB when you've got a couple of thousand miles between you and them.

[kaiden]

17. Let me promote your move to Colorado!

[ellie]

52. Me too!

Colorado is beautiful and the weather is great.

[LancetChick]

18. I live about 40 minutes north of San Fran...

... and down the road from the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. All the grocery stores have a huge emphasis on organic and green, with solar powered lights in many cases. There are signs urging us to stay out of Iran, bumper stickers with Obama/Biden or "Friends don't let friends vote Republican", and we just elected a Democratic super majority in the state assembly and state senate, which are now contemplating bringing back Prop 8. Even San Diego has gone blue this election.

I dunno, red states like Alabama and Kansas are scary places, in my view, like being in the Oakland Coliseum when you're not a Raiders fan. If you're a Democrat in a red state, you have both my sympathy and admiration!

[ailsagirl]

69. Hear, hear!

I live in Marin and am very comfortable with its politics. And I grew up in Davis, which is very blue, indeed!

Hello Northern Calif. Dem

[OneGrassRoot]

20. I have relatives in southeastern Alabama. One story post-election...

Most of these relatives are retired military, btw. Most over 70. Very much Fox News people.

Very much racist bigots.

One relative had everyone alarmed because he wouldn't return calls and wouldn't answer his door for days last week.

Turns out he was in the depths of depression, shutting out the world because Obama won.

Holy shit.

[NOLALady]

21. I live in Louisiana.

I'm not going anywhere. I cannot/will not leave my family, friends and support system.

Nearly 40% of Louisianians voted Blue. I need to stay here to add to the Blue vote.

I suggest you block or unfriend your irrational FB friends until they calm down and/or grow up.

[dixiegrrrrl]

70. You have a good common sense suggestion.

I live in a very small rural Alabama town, and do miss a lot of options I used to know in places like SF and Seattle.
Fortunately, I also like my introverted lifestyle, so don't have to put up with the goofy people around here too much.
I find them amusing, mostly.
can't afford to move elsewhere, and thankfully the internet extends my social circle.

I am old enough to know how to say NO to idiots, morons, shit stirrers and nutty relatives.

Ain't giving anyone the power to make my head explode.

[csziggy]

22. Move to a blue area nearby

For instance the counties around Tallahassee in North Florida are blue. Leon County is over 50% Democratic voter registration and voted 61% for Barack Obama this time around. We've got universities with enthusiastic young voters that work hard for the campaigns. Being close to the state government allows me to call in and express my opinions to the elected officials and to the bureaucrats. And depending on what part of Alabama your relatives are in, we are pretty close - within a day's drive at the most.

Of see if there is a blue area of Alabama that you can move to. That will help reinforce the other Democrats there!

[jackbenimble]

23. Run for office?

Perhaps the normal people would like to have representation.

[nichomachus]

48. Unfortunately

If you run for office, you will be smeared relentlessly. Your family will be harassed. You may even receive death threats.

A really nice guy ran for the House here against an entrenched Republican. Thank dog he won, but the campaign was beyond brutal. He questioned the incumbent's record. She ran non-stop attack ads, many financed by Citizens United groups, slandering his character -- practically accusing him of being a terrorist, telling people that he was a criminal and palled around with cold-blooded cop killers and that he "hated Thanksgiving.

No freaking way I'd run for office.

[calico1]

24. What about GA?

Isn't Atlanta on the Blue side?

Plus you'd be close to home.

[RebelOne]

36. I live in Georgia and it is so red.

Only certain sections of the Atlanta area are blue. I live just northwest of Atlanta in a totally red county. I do not bother to vote in local elections because there are nothing but Republicans on the ballot. The only time I vote is when a Democrat is running for governor.

[calico1]

66. Oh.

I thought it being a big city and having transplants (or so I have heard) made it more Blue.

I had heard on the news that GA is one of the States that could turn Blue in the not too distant future because of the influx of Latinos.

[RebelOne]

68. Well, it is still red,

but perhaps with the influx of Latinos, it could change to blue. Right now, most of the Latinos in my area of Northwest Georgia are mostly illegals and cannot vote.

[taught_me_patience]

25. I left my entire family behind and moved 2,000 miles to California

That was nine years ago and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I moved, though, looking for work and to make a career in a big city. California offers unlimited potential to make a great living. Don't worry about friends... you'll meet so many nice people here. The issue is family... hopefully you'll make enough money to travel back every once in a while. Most of my friends who aren't from Cali travel back to see family once or twice a year. Eventually, family will start to migrate too.

May I ask how old you are?

[kstewart33]

27. I grew up in Alabama.

I return every summer to visit a relative. There is an air of Southern hospitality there that I miss in Colorado, but I could not live in Alabama now. The evangelical religion that dominates much of the state is suffocating. It permeates the culture.

[bluestate10]

29. Move to Virginia, North Carolina or Florida, or a big city in Texas.

Help us lock those states down blue by the next Presidential election. We can start winning in places like Alabama if we organize better and more consistently, but for now, it is not good there.

[Ikonoklast]

30. You must become the Change you seek.

Run for office.

Any office.

Make them defend their little kingdom against you.

Get others you know that share your angst to do the same.

We must confront these people down to the smallest elected office in this country if we want to change things.

[bluestate10]

31. A second thought. There were some decidedly blue bands in Alabama on election day.

As some people pointed out, find those blue areas and move there to reinforce the good forces. YOu will still be in your culture and close to home. I truly think that we can take Alabama blue by 2024, there are pockets of incredibly well educated people the we need to gather into voting blocks. Some families in Alabama have fought racism and ignorance for hundreds of years, those people can teach us a lot if we make an effort to find and support them.

[Cleita]

32. I know it's very hard to sit here and say, "change things" when you are surrounded with morons.

But maybe you need to reach out to a group of like-minded Alabamans, organize, and then make a plan to start educating your fellow Alabamans and start pushing your elected officials to start acting like representatives of the people and not representatives of whatever industry and church they are beholden to. Maybe an Occupy Alabama movement would be in order. You don't have to go out on the street. You could do it over Facebook or some other such internet meeting place. It's a huge order, but I'm sure there are many in Alabama to reach out to who are just as disenfranchised as you. Hint, hint. Start reaching out to the young Latino, Asian and black communities. By numbers you might find that they outnumber the white people in charge. They just haven't participated in politics up until now because it seemed like a losing thing to them.

You don't need to tolerate a minority ruling a majority. You can change things for the better, take over and if those you take over from don't like it, let them leave. Not to disparage white Alabamans but I've known a few I met in Los Angeles you do have really racist roots which is what Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the Republicans rely on. When an Alabaman lands in a liberal enclave like LA mostly they change their views because they have to work and live alongside, ethnic minorities, gays and people who consider Fox News, et al a joke. If those die hard Alabamans can change their views, I believe you can get most of the white Alabamans who would be progressive to change their ideas too. It will just take a lot of effort in educating them and changing generations of prejudice and the propaganda damage done by the Rupert Murdoch Fox News, et al in the past decades.

[barbtries]

33. i feel for you

i really do. i'm in NC and since the election i don't even feel the same way about being here. i'm from CA and more homesick than ever. and i've got probably minimally another five years here.
gotta make the best of it and turn the place blue one soul at a time. i recommend Meet-up - you can put in democrat, liberal, progressive and find like-minded people who are in your neck of the woods. or just come up to NC the next time we have a DU meet-up here in the triangle!

[Jennicut]

34. The weather in New England is not too bad. We get 4 seasons.

You get used to the snow. I actually prefer the winter to the summer (too hot for me).

And our state is completely blue, the Gov, the Representatives and the Senators. We have a majority in the statehouse. Supporting Obama around here is very common.

But I do understand about leaving family and friends behind. Ironically, my conservative parents have threatened (sort of jokingly) to move to the south to be around people "more like them".

[bluestate10]

57. You love the winters too?

I love everything about New England, from the weather to the mostly sane people. People here are truly family oriented, they don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk. And if I need help, plenty help pops out of the woodwork.

BTW. Maybe your parents should go live in the red parts of the South. That will turn them into liberals for sure.

[Sheepshank]

35. I live in Utah

I'm one of the most progressive people around these parts. Keeping the insane talking points in check as the example of a lib who actually works, cares for family, friends and even strangers...does have the effect of deadening some of the more wigged out crap I feel like I'm doing my part, one real person at a time.

[northoftheborder]

38. I manage to live just fine without Facebook.

[KatyMan]

39. The sad thing is

you (and those of us in Texas) have to put up with nitwits in regular life, and then for some consolation come to DU and find tons of posts bashing our states.

[bluestate10]

58. I came to DU as a South basher, and for a long time was one.

But you guys have made me a convert, even though I still admire Generals Grant, Sheridan and Sherman for their persistence mostly. When I looked at the precinct map of southern state, I saw a lot of promising dark and bright blue. We in blue states that are free of the insanity that southern DU members face daily must help our southern DU members turn more of the state blue and lay off the bashing of them.

[LaydeeBug]

40. *BE* the change you wish to see in the world and run for office at home.

You're a normal guy with roots in your community and growing a bit tired of feeling like a gypsy in your own hometown.

It's time to let them know how strong those roots actually are.

[Arkansas Granny]

41. I know exactly what you mean. I live in Arkansas, which is turning redder all the time.

I keep hoping that one day people will return to their senses and start electing Democrats again. Until just the last few years, we had a Democratic Governor, both of our Senators were Democrats and 3 out of 4 Representatives were Democrats. Now, we have the Governor and one Senator and people signing a petition to secede. It's really depressing.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

43. I lived in Arkansas during my high school/college years and during

Pres. Clinton's first term as governor there. I loved it and most of my Facebook friends are still there. I despaired watching as the state turned red and I despair that many of my friends from high school turned red right along with it. Fortunately, most of them refrain from posting right-wing nuttery on my feed, for which I am grateful.

[Arkansas Granny]

45. I don't Facebook, but I used to get a lot of rw emails. I started replying with links to facts

and that has really cut down on the amount of stupid stuff in my inbox. If they send me crap, I'm going to send them truth, whether they like it or not.

[Whovian]

42. I live in AL as well and my FB page is populated by Liberals

From all over the country and world. I only have one right wingnut posting on my page which I keep for entertainment purposes only. I now have over 300 "friends" all with either an artistic or liberal bend. I got there by friending friends of friends that post with ideals close to mine and keeping my page predominantly populated with pro-dem and liberal information plus de-friending those who were "dittoheads." It's now a nice place to visit for a dose of sanity.

I can't leave because of elderly parents that need my help. But keep on keeping on, we need as many blue dots in this deep blue sea while the R party continues to implode. Even the idiots here will start to figure out that the R's are not looking out for them but for moneyed interests only.

[bluestate10]

61. The great thing, as seen in the letter to Obama from the Tennessee woman that voted for

Romney, many people that voted for Romney want the President to succeed in making american fairer for working people. If President Obama succeeds, we will instantly get converts that will finally see that WE were right on election day. You can bet that if President Obama succeeds, that woman in Tennessee will probably take a chance on the democrat in 2016 instead of mindlessly voting for the republican.

[Evasporque]

44. They will eventually choose for you....

Either accept and embrace the stupid or you will be forced to leave....

[bluestate10]

63. I don't agree. There was a lot of blue in Alabama on election day. The poster needs to just find

those pockets of blue. Some of those people may well be in the poster's town or county. The poster can come to a blue state, he or she will be happy there, or stay and build out the spots of blue that were in Alabama on election day. You must understand that THIS President was portrayed as not being american, of being some dangerous radical, yet there was lots of blue for him in Alabama, that is impressive. I think the poster should stay, find like minded Alabamans and fight. Why should he or she give up a lifestyle that is comforting because of knuckleheads?

[LynneSin]

47. We'll make you an Honorary Delawarean!

Always room for more liberals here!

and btw welcome to DU

[nichomachus]

49. Re; Facebook

I had some annoying people on my Facebook page. I changed them from "Friend" to "Acquaintance." That way, their crap doesn't show up in my newsfeed, but I can see it if I go look for it.

A little over 10 years ago, I move across country to CA and have never looked back. I have a large group of friends here and we have a good time. I talk to my Foxer family about four times a year.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

50. Come to Vegas... I moved here from NC and I'm loving it

It's hard to find a job if you don't have any special skills or education, but housing is still cheap, the weather is fantastic and there's little to no humidity, few bugs, lots to do beyond the strip, lots to see (from California to Utah to Arizona, etc.), plenty of blue here, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam a hop and a skip away, any kind of food you want, any kind of restaurant you want, entertainers all the time, great concerts, etc. The sports scene sucks, I give you that, but I don't miss NC one bit.

[33Greeper]

53. Moved here 15 years ago from Cali

I'm not going anywhere. I have a number of progressive friends. Enjoy pissing off the local Reich Wing radio hosts. Small blessings.

[ThoughtCriminal]

54. Ex-Alabamian here

Auburn is having a lousy season and with Alabama'a loss last week, it looks like the BCS championship might go out of state. So I'd imagine everybody is a little extra unhinged.

I moved to Arizona 30 years ago - politics did not improve.

[Etraker]

55. Me too

I live in Alabama too and it doth suck. Being around morons all day everyday is a drag.

[hrmjustin]

56. I hope you find sanity here my friend. Welcome to DU.

[Etraker]

60. Thanks

I come here and read quite often and it does make my day better.

[bluestate10]

65. Welcome to DU. I don't know whether you had time to check it, but there was a lot of blue

in Alabama on election day for Obama. Try hanging out in cities like Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, Birmingham and Montgomery. You should run into liberal minds. Try hooking up with the young democrats at the University of Alabama or at Auburn, even if you aren't young. They should be able to point you to progressives in your neck of the woods. Take care and keep fighting.

[olddad56]

59. I think that you will make it out of Alabama...

you are way ahead of the others who live there. Most of them don't know that they can leave if they want to.

[Egalitarian Thug]

64. K&R You're not alone, many of us have made that sacrifice. n/t

[kwassa]

71. Try Maryland, the bluest of blue states

Very progressive, just passed same-sex marriage democratically, virtually all Democratic office holders, great education system, close to many places, including DC.

Great crab, too.

[Elwood P Dowd]

74. Maryland is a nice place. I lived in the DC area in 1971 and 1972 and spent a lot of time in MD with

some of my Army buddies. When my 2-year Army stint was over I had to come back to Alabama because of job and family down here. Had a buddy that was from a rural area near Beltsville. I understand it is no longer rural but now part of the metro sprawl.

[Samantha]

78. Yes it is, but I live next to Beltsville in College Park and I love it

I think Elwood P Dowd would love it too, especially if he lived four blocks from the metro!

I know exactly how you feel, Elwood P Dowd. I moved from here to raise my child and lived in WV for eight years. I was absolutely miserable because I did not fit in. I came back when my daughter graduated from high school and entered college. I realized then, I should never have left.

And this is the same feeling I have when I visit Tennessee, where most of my family is from. What a beautiful state, as is parts of West Virginia. Some beautiful people as well. But the politics?

I am not sure a person can live in a place and be happy if he or she is unhappy in his or her own political skin.

College Park, MD is centrally located. Traveling to West Virginia or Tennessee is very easy. Well, traveling anywhere is easy from here. Union Station is just downtown and we have 3 airports in the area.

Sam

[Elwood P Dowd]

80. Went over to College Park a couple of times for a Maryland football game and later a basketball

game. The FB team was awful, but they had an outstanding basketball team back then.

Politics are tough down here thanks to the barrage of propaganda people believe from Fox News and hate radio. It wasn't this bad back in the 1970s and most of the 1980s before the advent of the repuke noise machine. I've managed to change a few relatives and close friends over the years, but I stay away from those who are hopeless brainwashed idiots as best I can. Can't afford to spend extra money on stronger BP meds.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

73. I hate to break it to you

But in New England, the wingnuts just get louder, or try to fly under the radar and get on local boards and such. If you listened to talk radio up here, you wouldn't believe Obama got over 60%.

[bluestate10]

82. I live in New England too. The poster should find the county by county map of the USA

posted a few days ago on how counties voted state by state. Blue states will look not so blue and red states like his or her Alabama won't look so red. In New England as well as New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the big cities dominate the vote and overwhelm the less populated red areas of those states. My city went for President Obama, so did my county, but other counties in my state went for Romney. But my county has a lot of votes and leans moderate-progressive, when coupled with liberal counties, we delivered a 25 point margin for President Obama.

People in red states must hang on. Your states aren't as hopeless as you feel now. What you should do is find people in your states that feel the same way you do and make them your Facebook friends. Remove negative people from your friends list, even if they are relatives.

[ErikJ]

75. Better for your mental health if you move?

I know someone in the Seattle area that I think is so RWing that she is starting to go crazy. They just passed legal marijuana and gay marriage and I think its driving her to the edge. He emails are increasingly bizarre.

[bluestate10]

83. Like the woman in Gilbert Arizona that ran over her husband because he didn't vote and Obama won? nt.

[mzteris]

76. sometimes

you just gotta cut the cord.

They may be "family" - but if they're rwingnuts, then you're only going to drive yourself lcrazy and you'll both wind up hating each other in the long run.

Move away. Send a Christmas Card, Birthday, Funerals and births. That's it. You can friend them on FB, but block their feed. Send most of their email to spam.

It just ain't worth it, hon.

Georgia and Alabama gal who hasn't spoken to extended relatives in many years, and close family only when I have to.

[NC_Nurse]

77. Yep. I'm in GA and a lot of races had no one for me to vote for...

I feel your pain.

[RebelOne]

79. Yes, I am in Cherokee County, the reddest of the red counties.

But I still like it here, even though there are no Democrats to vote for on the local elections.

[JoeyT]

81. There are parts of Alabama that are more liberal than others.

Montgomery, Auburn, Birmingham, and Selma are more blue than the rest of the state. All the big cities that aren't Mobile, basically.

Dunno if you're close enough to move to any of those and still maintain contact with your friends or not. It does help if you've volunteered for an election, though: Virtually everyone working for the Democratic person running is going to be at the very least a moderate Democrat. That's how I met about half my current friends.

[bama_blue_dot]

84. I know how you feel

I live in Alabama as well, and I hate it.. I live in Florence, where do you live?