What's the most left-wing state? Which is most right-wing?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

I don't know, but for right-wing, I'd be looking at Idaho or Wyoming. But then, I'm Canadian, so what the hell do I know. Opinions please.

[rucky]

1. Left-Wing: Mass or Vermont

Alabama?

On the West Coast, the states are split between urban left & suburban/rural right

[La_Serpiente]

2. Hmmm

good question..

In my opinion, I would like to think of Texas as being the most right wing (although there are liberal and progressive pockets here and there).

For left wing? Geez. Washington D.C. is pretty liberal, but it is not a state. Massachusettes? They never go Republican, but they did vote in Romney. I really don't know on that.

[BurtWorm]

8. Massachusetts has had nothing but Republican governors since Dukakis's

Massachusetts miracle sputtered. Of course most of their Congressional delegation and both of their Senators are Democrats.

[Monte Carlo]

9. Our delegation is all Democratic.

Plus both houses of the state legislature are controlled by veto-proof Democratic majorities. In an odd way, we seem to like electing Republicans as governor to act as a counter-balance. All of them, though, are moderate Republicans.

[BurtWorm]

12. I lived there when Silvio Conte was the only Repub

and I lived in his district, which, oddly enough, covered the most radical towns in MA--Amherst and Northampton. I couldn't understand why they couldn't get rid of Conte, but evidently they did.

[lastliberalintexas]

25. Texas may have some

of the most right wing elected officials, but the people here are actually libertarian type repubs. Our elected officials are just anomalies. I guess that qualifies us for most right wing in some ways though!

But I'd say Utah is probably the most right wing. Wyoming may have gone for Shrub more than any other state in 2000, but since then they have elected a Dem gov, so things may be improving. Utah can't say the same, bless their hearts!

[Bluzmann57]

3. I live in Iowa

and its fairly middle of the road. Nebraska may be the most Republican state out there. I don't think they've ever voted Democratic in a national election. Illinois is a fairly liberal state, in some ways. Dem governor, Dick Durbin, formerly Paul Simon, home to Nancy Skinner, good Labor Union State.

[nemo137]

15. i wouldn't call illinois left wing though

we elect our progessives, and we do have to good union stuff, but culturally, we're can be pretty conservative.

we're really a fairly moderate state, with the common sense to realise that a progressive will generally screw us over less than a conservative.

[htuttle]

19. It's just a bit of Prairie Populism

Probably leaked down from us up here in Wisconsin.

:)

But Wisconsin isn't really 'left wing' either...hmm....Madison is, I suppose, Milwaukee is (in an oddly old-German way), and the farm community has it's populist moments.

Still don't really know what to make of having so many years of Tommy Thompson, though -- just glad he's gone.

[nemo137]

27. could be. i am from the northern bit of the state

how would you define "prairie populism" anyway? i had it last year in US history, but don't remember what they said.

[htuttle]

34. Hmm....

I guess it would be a concentration on anti-oligarchical economic reform, particularly favoring small farmers and businesses. Typically very little social reform mixed in.

Then again, I'm speaking from a Wisconsin point of view, so maybe I'm talking about classic LaFollete-style progressivism. There's also a strain of Prairie Populism in Kansas, Nebraska, etc...that tends to be more xenophobic (almost Birchian at times).

[SlavesandBulldozers]

4. Left Vermont

Right, Mississippi or Alabama.

[onebigbadwulf]

5. Hawaii seems pretty left

maybe not Alabama / Louisianna right

[creativelcro]

6. MASS is not left

is just the smartest state in the union...

[BurtWorm]

7. Until Schwarzenegger's coup, California seemed to be the most progressive

state, if you look at the work of the legislature. California was way ahead of everyone else on environmental legislation in particular, if I'm not mistaken. (This was covered in American Prospect or Mother Jones last year.) Other progressive states: most of New England, Hawaii and Oregon. New Jersey is catching up, after years of being the home of disgruntled, angry white male Republicanism.

Most conservative states: Alabama has got to be close to the top. New Hampshire is the big exception in New England. Idaho has a reputation for sheltering Aryans. Utah seems like a theocracy. These are just long-distance impressions, for the most part. Except for NH (I grew up in Maine). There are a lot of good Democrats in NH, but it has an anti-tax reputation that is attracting Libertarians by the thousands.

[FrenchieCat]

16. well here in Northern California....

we were considering splitting away from Southern California . I believe that Nothern California is the most liberal part of the entire country. I believe that Southern California is not.

Arnold lost in Northern California....

I would like to secede...but they won't let us...The South likes Silicon Valley too much.

I'd say that UTAH is the furthest right

[Snow]

10. I'll add another vote for Nebraska....

that is one conservative place. Nobody moves away permanently, damn few people move there and those who do usually find each other and socialize amongst themselves. The culture is really isolated, and they don't even realize it. I lived in Indianapolis in the 60's, and that's exactly what Omaha in the 90's felt like.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

11. Totally Self-serving kick.

[Walt Starr]

13. Wyoming is by far the most right wing state in the Union

Look at the percentages in the 2000 election. It's pretty clear.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

22. 'Home' of Dick Cheney, pretty serious right-wing credentials.

[maggrwaggr]

29. I would argue it's a different kind of right-wing-ness

compared to Utah. I think Utah takes the cake and has managed to create an entire state government and culture based heavily on the religion of the majority of the people there. To me, this is what modern right-wing-ness is all about.

I think Wyoming's is more old-school conservative. The "leave me alone" kind of conservatism. Utah is more the "you better show up in church and don't forget we're watching you" kind of conservatism.

[dkamin]

14. Left Hawaii, Right Texas

[Fescue4u]

39. Hawaii left wing? really?

I just returned from there a few weeks ago.

I would have guessed it was far right based on what I saw.

Lots and lots of military, no apparent middle class (either poor or very wealthy)

I know they have some extremly draconian gun laws, but other than that it seemed like a repub state.

Btw, other than the above, the place was wonderful, a true paradise.

[LastTime2BeFree]

17. Someone said Vermont?

That's because they have no gun laws or serious crime and thousands of snowmobilers. Yep that's really left wing. Sure it is.

[Bombtrack]

18. It has a socialist representing them in the house

So it has shown that it has the most left wing person representing them in the house, one of the most liberal supreme courts (gay marriage/civil unions) and they have one of the most left senators(Leahy).

I don't any other states are as left or liberal.

[LastTime2BeFree]

21. Bernie was the tie breaking vote against Holt's anti-snowmobile bill

How about them apples?

[lastliberalintexas]

24. So, I'm not a left winger

if I don't believe in Sarah Brady type gun control? Glad to know I've been voting for the wrong party all these years. :eyes:

[Blue_Tires]

20. most right-wing

my vote is for Missouri...and this is coming from someone born in VA, practically grew up in AL and went to college in GA. I've spent time in almost every southern state, except LA, TX and AK

[Yupster]

23. My tries

Right wing -- Utah

Left Wing -- Rhode Island

[maggrwaggr]

28. I'd agree right-wing is definitely Utah

that place has a creepy right-wing institutionalized-ness unparalleled by any other state.

I always thought Utah is what the right-wing wants the whole country to look like. Without the whackier aspects of mormonism, of course.

[terrya]

33. IMO, either Alabama or Mississippi is the most right wing. eom

[smallprint]

26. By region:

Northeast:
Left: Vermont
Right: Pennsylvania

Southeast:
Left: Tennessee
Right: Mississippi

Midwest:
Left: Minnesota
Right: Nebraska

Mountain West:
Left: New Mexico
Right: Utah

West Coast:
Left: California
Right: Alaska


Overall:
Left: California
Right: Mississippi


note: I give heavy weight to left-wing cities within conservative states-- thus Cali gets the nod despite their right-leaning rural/burbs, and Mississippi beats out Utah due to the mitigating factor of Salt Lake City's urban atmosphere.

[fujiyama]

30. In terms of

which state voted for Gore in the highest percent -- that was Rhode Island, which went 61% to 31.9% in favor of Gore. Granted DC was even higher (85.2% to 9%), but it's not really considered a state. Cermont can also be considered left wing because by adding Nader's % to Gore's, the state went 56.9% to 40% in favor of the left. California has produced some very progressive legislation over the years and went 53.4% in favor of Gore, with Nader getting 3.8% . Massachssets is also quite liberal voting 60% Gore (63.4 including Nader votes).

On the right it would have to be Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, which went by around 67% in favor of Bush. Each of these states is unique in their own way. Idaho contains many far right Neo Nazi/White Supremacist groups. Utah is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mormon Church. Wyoming is well Wyoming. Only a frozen barren wasteland like Wyoming can elect someone as cold a person as Dick Cheney.

Some of the states in the deep south are also extremely right wing -- Mississippi and Alabama come to mind, as do large parts of Texas.

[JackRiddler]

36. New York City...

bigger than most states and went 80% against Bush... yet it produced the Giuliani mayoralty, and before him the 80's version in Koch.

Is there really a left-wing state? VT, MA, MN, MI, WI and Hawaii all sort of qualify.

Seems to me like Texas, Utah & much of the South qualify as most right in a very right-wing nation.

Ah, this is all kind of pointless... mostly you have liberal cities, republican (largely libertarian) suburbs, and conservative rural areas. And in any town or region it will vary by county.

[Sapphocrat]

31. If you vivisect California...

Then NORTHERN California (San Francisco Bay Area -- forget everything else) is THE most progressive-liberal region in the country.

Close second (almost a tie): New York City.

Why do you ask, Screaming Lord B? You couldn't possibly be thinking of moving down here from thatprettymuchliberalparadise Canada???

[Screaming Lord Byron]

32. Naw, but it's always good to have more information about the battle

I'm a bit of a strategy nut.

Not that I'd call Alberta much of a liberal paradise, though ;-)

[Sapphocrat]

41. Ohhh, Alberta...

Oh, I'm sorry! :D Never been there, but I've heard AB (at least south of Edmonton) is the Canadian equivalent of Utah.

[Kazak]

35. I live in Oklahoma...

It is way too right leaning for my tastes, but I don't know if I'd say its the most right...it's up there though.

[apsuman]

37. it depends...

The most politically conservative state is probably Idaho.
The most politically liberal state is probably Massachusetts.

The most Republican state is probably Alaska (perhaps Georgia now).
The most Democratic state is probably Illinois.

The most culturally conservative state is probably Utah.
The most culturally liberal state is probably Vermont.

[Some Moran]

38. Illinois?

They have a Repuke Senator and voted for Poppy Bush in '88. They just got rid of their Repuke governor last year.

[mitchum]

40. California and California...

home of the progressive movement AND the Orange County crazies