Why is the SF Bay Area so democratic?

[cally]

This is a continuation of another thread. This article states that The Bush/Kerry race would be a dead heat without the Bay Area. We are a Dem lock recently but this is recent. What changed? I posted in the other thread that I think it's the environmental and women's issues that changed us. I would love some other opinions.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=597073&mesg_id=597073&page=

Kerry keeps 12-point lead over Bush in California. Bay Area provides...

Edited on Fri Aug-06-04 12:32 PM by Zinfandel
challenger with strongest support...

California voters favor Sen. John Kerry over President Bush by a 12- percentage-point margin, a lead that has remained steady since Kerry emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee in February, according to a Field Poll released today.

<snip>

"If you remove the Bay Area from California, it would be pretty much a dead heat,'' DiCamillo said, observing that Bay Area residents sometimes live in a political bubble.

"Everywhere I go, people ask me in disbelief why Kerry is not leading (by more) in the election,'' DiCamillo said. "I tell them: You live in the Bay Area.''

<snip>

California, which has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988, remains far more pro-Kerry than the rest of the country. A nationwide poll released Thursday by Fox News showed Kerry ahead of Bush among likely voters 48 percent to 43 percent. The survey of 775 voters had a statistical margin of error of 4 percentage points. A smaller sample of registered voters in 15 "battleground'' states showed Bush and Kerry in a statistical dead heat.

<snip>

Bush is scheduled to be in Santa Monica -- a Democratic bastion -- for a fund-raiser next Friday, according to documents circulated by the campaign. It will be Bush's first visit to the state since March, and anti-war groups are pledging to protest the visit already.

<snip>

Polls gauging the candidate's strengths will be critical in determining strategy for the final three months of the campaign. Reflecting California's position as a state not viewed as a battleground, the group of musicians -- including Bruce Springsteen --who announced a tour Wednesday of 34 cities to drum up support for Kerry will come closest to the state on Oct. 5, when Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Keb' Mo' play a concert -- in Kansas City, Mo.


http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/08/06...

[wryter2000]

1. I don't think it's recent

I don't know why it is, but it's been that way since I moved here in 1969 (Oakland).

[beyurslf]

2. Those issues plus the LGBT issues. Surely San Fran can be counted on

for gay rights issues.

[Caution]

3. "Why is the Orange County area so Republican?"

"If you remove Orange County from California, it would be pretty much a complete knockout,'' Caution said, observing that Orange Country residents sometimes live in a political bubble.

"Everywhere I go, people ask me in disbelief why Kerry is not leading (by more) in the election,'' Caution said. "I tell them: Orange County.''

[proud patriot]

7. John Wayne IMO n/t

[MisterP]

8. OCers are generally in a total bubble

they rave about the "Food-for-Oil scandal which is why them Frenchies and Germanies and Commies are agin' us" which Chalabi put out, and various other hallucinations extruded by Scaife, Murdoch, and Moon. Then they donate to their Landover-Baptist-type cashevangelist of their choice. Too bad for me I hate moving more than living in a county populated with nutbars (though not exclusively).

[demosincebirth]

11. Isn't Orange County where Congresswoman Sanchez, is from?

She's a Democrat.

[Xithras]

13. Not quite true

If you ever get bored, spend a day driving around the great Central Valley...California's other bastion of conservatism. It's just as populous as OC (if a bit more spread out), but tends to vote solidly red in elections. Even our Democrats tend to be Zell Miller style conservatives.

[alittlelark]

4. I'm in Silicon Valley (Los Altos)

I think it has a lot to do with Stanford and Berkely grads who stay in the area. The higher your education level, the more likely you are to be liberal. Also, we have a TRUE melting pot here in the Bay Area. Diverse people and cultures to learn about and experience give one an appreciation of what America really should be..... and that it has nothing to do with the conservative agenda.

[mitchtv]

14. to stanford&berkeley add

USF, uc santa Cruz, Sonoma State, st Mary's, U santa Clara, UCSF& Boalt Hall.Sf Conservatory of music,and a host of high learning inst.

[NoBorders]

18. and SF State

With a long tradition of liberal activism as well

[cally]

5. I've lived here most of my life

I grew up in Hayward when it was conservative. Some of it is because it's less white but I think other issues changed it. I remember the environmental and women's rights undertones even in a conservative area. The GLBT issues are more recent and do have an effect. :shrug:

[leftyandproud]

6. gays...

and gay rights.

simple as that

[davidinalameda]

9. people come to the Bay Area looking for freedoms

not found in other places

I wouldn't live any place else

[Book Lover]

10. Exactly

I left NYC for the freedom of San Francisco. That, plus the temperate climate.

[Warren DeMontague]

12. Gays & Hippies

Two Great Voting Blocks that Vote Great, Together.

[marlakay]

15. People that think for themselves live here!

I just moved back to bay area after 3 yrs in Modesto. The central valley is very religious. I transferred from Santa Rosa to there and first day on the job 5 people were reading the bible in the break room. That is fine by me if they want to but I work for a large company and have never seen that in any of their other offices.

I did find though in the past year many at the gym who are repubs that don't like Bush. They are worried about their kids at war. A lot of kids from the valley signed up after 9-11.

I am in Walnut Creek now and thrilled to be back!

[amjsjc]

16. Urban centers tend to vote Democratic...

Just look at NYC, Boston or DC... Combine large minority populations, and relatively large numbers of well educated college grads (who are probably less likely to be religious and more likely to have cosmopolitan worldviews) and you've got yourself a Democratic bastion.
Buttloads of ex (or aspiring) Hippies, and a few thousand gay folks don't hurt either...

On a more personal note I'm happy that my little corner of the state provides Kerry with his 12 point lead, and that we're effectively disenfranchising a million slavering Republican drones in the OC. Best.

[proud patriot]

17. an appreciation for Diversity and environmental issues imo

We really like Culture and Diversity here .

Even Republicans are Environmentalists here.