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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsShout out to Red State Liberals
I guess I live in what the pundits call a "purple" state, Ohio. My one senator is SHERROD BROWN -- the other, Rob Portman. MARCIA FUDGE represents me in Congress, but my state regularly sends the orange guy back to Washington to cry in his bourbon.
My current governor is John Kasich (we don't need no stinkin' transparency), and thanks to the magic of gerrymandering, we have a Republican super majority in the Ohio House and Senate. That means tax cuts for the wealthy, attacks on women's health care, attacks on public education, and lots and lots of fracking. We just turned back renewable energy standards.
I know what it is like worry about whether my car will be vandalized in the parking deck because of its Obama sticker. I've been sworn at phone banking (and I'm supposedly calling other Democrats!). It's hard to have conversations sometimes because I guess being a liberal makes me a non-Christian (who knew?). I know what it's like to never, ever, ever get a response from my state representative or my state senator no matter how many times I contact their offices.
I have family in New England and the Bay Area, so I know how wonderful it feels to be in a place where progressive values are the norm. It is just so relaxing. I love it!!! Trust me, our car with its Ohio plates got lots of glares in Massachusetts in 2005. They couldn't tell that everyone IN the car had not only voted for Kerry, but had worked on his campaign.
Here's to ALL of you in the states they call red. Cheers to your courage, your values, and your hard work. I know it ain't easy.
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)I love Texas but I don't know how we got so lucky with this bunch. Hopefully this will start turning purple and back to blue in the next few years.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)ladym55
(2,577 posts)My husband is from there, and my son lived there for about 8 years.
The recall broke our hearts. We know how hard you all worked to remove your highly unethical governor. (He's a good friend of our governor ... hmmm)
Gothmog
(145,489 posts)We are working to turn Texas blue
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)Cherokee County is so red it glows. There are almost no Democrats in our local county offices. Despite our differences, the people are wonderful.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)K&R
Populist_Prole
(5,364 posts)Of a certain southeastern state that went red the past several years.
Dawgs
(14,755 posts)Of course, I now live in Georgia, so I know how bad it can get.