Missouri DUers: We're thinking of moving to Rolla

[bklyncowgirl]

My husband and I are considering pursuing a dream of ditching our civil servant type jobs and buying a campground. We found a place near Rolla that sounds pretty good.

What's the political climate in that area? Could a fiscally conservative, estranged Catholic, liberal librarian with some libertarian leanings get along with people in that part of the state or would I end up getting tarred, feathered and ridden out on a rail for having a "W worst ever" bumper sticker on my car?

[MoJoWorkin]

1. So why should the"political climate" stop you?

I have lived all my life in the MOST conservative part of the state---SW MO.
I feel it a source of pride to do so---that I grew up here and have so different a philosophy from my current neighbors. It wasn't always so. Once the Assembly of God made its headquarters in Springfield, the political landscape changed dramatically for the worse.(We used to elect some Democrats in the SW MO back in the 60s and 70s.)
THe Rolla area, and to the south, has produced the likes of Democrats Mel Carnahan, and Claire McCaskill. It is not as conservative as Springfield, but still not a raging liberal bastion. You do have to deal with the Army Fort Wood in the next county, but it is pretty country with some of the best rivers for floating in the nation-- just south, and is Mo's wine country area. Also, Rolla has one of the top Engineering Universities in the Nation---UMR. (My daughter graduated with her EE degree from UMR) If you like big city atmosphere, this is NOT the place, but you are only 2 hours from St. Louis. You can only know if you like it by coming and checking it out. Come on down!

[MoJoWorkin]

2. I almost forgot---I have impeach Bush/Cheney, and

W= America's Biggest Disaster on my car-- I have not been tarred, yet.

[bklyncowgirl]

5. Cool.

[bklyncowgirl]

4. Thanks, the area does seem beautiful

I'm a city girl but always wanted to live in the country.

[AllegroRondo]

3. Rolla is actually pretty nice

I lived for 4 years in Waynesville, about 20 minutes west.

Rolla is a college town, with UMR, a good school for engineering. You will find people of all kinds in that area. And the Congressman from that area is Ike Skelton, a Dem.

[bklyncowgirl]

6. Thanks for the input.

The area seems really nice. I just don't know whether I could live in the Bible Belt. If most people are of the live and let live variety, I'd probably like it.

[freebrew]

7. An hour away here...

in Camdenton. Also used to be pretty blue uuntil the last few years(the Clinton Impeachment). The county sheriff is still a Dem. Though most Dems are of the Conservative variety, no one yet has called for death to even the most liberal(like me). Also here, Lake of the Ozarks, nice to look at, but is designated the 3rd most dangerous body of water in the states(huge off-shore boats and drunks). But the area is nice. You'll like the area around Rolla, a little like upstate NY as I remember. More trees? And GREAT wine.

[AllegroRondo]

8. Ah, yest, great wine.

the St James Winery is just up the road (in St James, of course). Excellent stuff.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Hey do you ever get up to KC?

Let us know and we will have a meetup!

[freebrew]

16. I get there once in a while(KC)

Family is mostly in St. Louis area, but I go to the Wizards games once in a while.

[bklyncowgirl]

15. Great wine! Cool!

We're outdoors types so the area is really appealing to us. I was just concerned about settling down in the middle of true Bible Belt country.

I have visited the area before. My daughter and her friend became obsessed with Steeleville after reading about the town in National Geographic. We took a road trip with that as a destination and found it a nice friendly little town. The lady from the Chamber of Commerce was so surprised that a couple of teens from New Jersey (with lip rings and purple and green hair no less) had heard of their little town, that she took our pictures and showed us all around.

Some of the megachurches along the interstate looked a little foreboding but hell, we have them in Jersey too.

[AllegroRondo]

9. You still get some Bible Belt nuts

especially on the AM dial. But they are mostly harmless. If you need to escape for a while St Louis is only an hour away.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Actually, isn't that the MO 8th district?

which is Joann Emerson, a RW bushclone. But she has an awesome very progressive opponent, Veronica Hambacker.

[AllegroRondo]

12. Darn, I think you're right.

Waynesville, where I lived, was Ike Skelton territory.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. My friend is Veronica's campaign manager

and she lives in Salem.

Veronica is a very impressive candidate and she has a great chance to beat Emerson. :)

[loyalsister]

14. I get along with a lot of RWers here

A lot of them are split ticket voters who wiiill vote for congressional pukes and state Democrats and vice versa. So, they are many times pretty reasonable people who I can find common ground with. Much of Missouri politics is rural vs. urban rather than Republican vs. Democratic. If you fit in with rural culture, you should be fine.

A little trivia--
"Rolla" was named after Raliegh, NC. The spelling evolved from the pronunciation.

[freebrew]

17. Just keep your rifle in the back window of your pickup...

Kidding, but most rural Missouri folk seem to be obsessed with the 2nd Amendment rights.
Always wondered why that one when they don't respect the 1st.

Where I work seems that is the only issue that anyone cares about and for some reason they think the pukes won't take away their guns...

[loyalsister]

18. That's a subject I generally avoid the subject with them

I can deal with the concept of self protection with a traditional firearm. But people want their assault weapons, etc. here. MO has become a bastion of gun nuts.
The largest populations of recipients are in rural districts, contrary to the minority "welfare mom" stereotypes some would have us believe.
Democrats are moving right on guns and shoot em up stuff. I don't like it at all, but it may be effective.