Just curious what is it like

[gabeana]

being a democrat and liberal in a red state, I live in a blue state (CA) in blue area, most of the people in my community have same political leanings as me

I just wonder what it would be like where liberal is a bad word

[Skittles]

1. I see it as my mission to kick ignorant conservative redstate ass

the problem now is, there so SOOOOOOOO freaking many of them

[gabeana]

2. Do you get frustrated

and look at those people like what is wrong with you?

[Skittles]

3. well that's like, every day

[gabeana]

12. lol n/t

[phylny]

4. At times it's exhausting.

I live in Virginia and there are more Trump signs here than anything else. There are also bumperstickers against Obama, liberals, the "liberal media," you name it. It's all about God, guns and gays. I don't put a bumpersticker on my car because I want my car to be in one piece when I return to it.

I also work with a lot of poor people, and I am constantly amazed at how they vote against their own interests, mainly because "my whole family always votes Republican." Last election cycle, one of my families was all excited about having seen Mitt Romney at a rally and how he was really going to fix our country. I can't believe I did it, but I said, "Your family benefits from SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid for your child. Are those programs you think Mitt Romney supports?"

Uhhhh....

Honestly, at times I secretly, shamefully, think the vast majority of people are just stupid. That and it causes me to hate Republicans, and I hate that I hate a group of people, but I do.

[kairos12]

14. I recently read a depressing

article about a study where FMRIs were done scanning parts of the brain dealing with strongly held beliefs. Basically, it said that if you challenge someone's strongly held belief with indisputable facts the part of the brain associated with stubbornness lights up like a pinball machine. The more facts you present, the stronger they cling to the belief.

Yikes.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

18. Exchange Virginia with Texas and my story is the same. SMH. nt

[HughBeaumont]

5. Living in SlowHio during the Bewsh years only made my resolve and cause stronger.

Seeing the incredible damage Republican economic policies have done to this state and others really opens your eyes to the giant human and labor rights con game they've been playing on us all of these years. Theoretically.

[Javaman]

6. I live in Texas. Where do I even begin...

first of all, I live in Austin.

Austin, while still liberal isn't nearly as liberal as it once was.

traveling outside of the Austin City limits, one falls into the libertarian/right wing red hole of death.

there are parts of Dallas and Houston that are certainly liberal, but if you travel to the west, you better drop your IQ otherwise you will stick out like a sour thumb.

having to live under a governor, lt. governor and states attorney general that are just this side of openly being racists and bigots, is a bit trying and out right frustrating at times.

the legislature, the ones with the real power in the state, are just a collection of greedy back slapping morons out to suck up and much wealth as possible before they leave office.

I try my best not to pay attention to those dolts, but alas, it's hard not to when they make such national fools of themselves.

My GF and I have found a nice piece of property in Oregon.

we will retire their in several years and get away from this madness of self defeating stupidity.

[IDemo]

8. Much the same in Idaho

Although I would never venture to describe Boise as 'liberal', it has had its purplish moments. Most of the rest of the state is simply batshit red. Our legislature really outdid itself this season - fast tracking the permitting process for fracking, legalizing concealed carry without a permit, refusing to address the deaths of children from faith healing instead of medical care, and more.

Christ himself couldn't get elected here with a D beside his name.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

19. I only wish I could live in Austin. I'm in that libertarian/right wing red hole of death...

...up here next to Ft. Worth and if it weren't for my GF I would like to be in Oregon myself.

[Brickbat]

7. I think it helps you think more strategically about party politics.

It also helps you learn to communicate more effectively with people who disagree with you. Or it can, anyway, if you're willing to do the work.

[Hortensis]

9. Discrimination and bigotry based on political orientation

are at a very high point, according to Pew. That's particularly true for conservative discrimination against the left, but it's also happening to a lesser but very real degree in blue areas against conservatives, such as in hiring.

We definitely see it here in the Deep South, Gabeana. There has actually been a great deal of growth in this area, with in-migration from other regions, and well over half the county is now people from around the country. It's easy to pick would-be troublemakers out from the crowd, though. They are usually from the original residents here, and they greet you when they must with normal politeness but pointed reserve, at least when among the safety of groups of their own, from which vantage they like to look across unsmilingly at those they reject, at least until they're noticed. A group behavior. I'm being hard on them when I know that many are fine people in many other facets of their lives; but I also know that the potential of strong social conservatives for genuinely evil behavior in the wrong situations is very real, and their attitudes keep reminding one of that. All I've ever done to become an object of hostility to this type was to disclose frankly, in the spirit of honesty, of of being able to speak honestly!, that I was one of those liberals.

Now that our son is doing business in our town, though, I have become very restrained among larger groups and very careful not to say anything that would associate us with him. Mostly not saying inflammatory things is just decent manners, of course, but I'm even more careful about what I say in general. I don't want to get particularly hostile people so angry that they go looking for ways to hurt me -- and find them.

That's with the larger community in general, of course. We of course spend by far most of our time with friends, both original residents and newer arrivals like us, who accept us for who and what we are, and vice versa.

[Tsiyu]

10. Not easy but most people in my area are not bad at all

People seem to get along despite politics and religion, and I flat out say I'm a radical liberal to get that out of the way right off the bat.

I think maybe one of the worst moments was when Bush was in office and I had a "Frodo Failed...Bush got the Ring" bumper sticker on my car. Somebody placed a bunch of shopping carts behind my car in a pouring rain so I would get soaked moving them. I just laughed.

If that's how cheap politics is for these people -- making someone's life miserable because they don't like your opinion -- well, you have to feel sorry for those types, because they have NO lives, and their parents never taught them how to take criticism or have a respectful debate. Either you agree with them or you suck -- in their teeny tiny little uneducated noggins.

I have gotten some stink eye from some of the meaner and crueler pasty white conservative men, but they are so ignorant and corrupt I smile back, knowing karma is gonna kick their ass one day, so they can look as mean and intimidating as they like. I consider it a compliment that those evil men hate me.

I am also a liberal who owns guns, (had to laugh at a Trump supporter who claimed all liberals hate guns. He should come visit the gungeon sometime, but he insists no liberals have guns. We don't brag in public about it, but we DO have them partly to protect ourselves from conservative wackos like him) and I'm not afraid to shoot them, as do most people here. So I don't worry about being harmed for my beliefs.

Any red state also has lots of liberals, and I know plenty of them, too. They keep me hopeful.

[phylny]

15. A big, resounding, "Hell yeah!" to the red state liberals.

I'm in Virginia, which is pretty much blue for state and national elections - we voted for Obama and our Governor and Senators are both Democrats. At least I feel part of a larger group here in all the redness

[sorefeet]

11. Too scary to put a Bernie sticker

on my van. I need my vehicle in one drivable piece. I am also debating if I should paint a 15 peace sign on the front of my house. I live on a peaceful dead end dirt road, I grow cannabis and probably don't need the traffic of gawkers. But I do like the idea of a large peace sign.

[kairos12]

13. I live in Arizona and occasionaly get into with the crazies. Now that Cruz

is out I can't use my favorite line for his supporters, The Walking Ted. It can be a challenge, but the Rethugs can't spew their garbage without pushback. My wife sometimes has to pull on my sleeve to say that's enough. I consider this pushback part of my retirement package.

[PasadenaTrudy]

16. I wonder about this too

I'm a native Angeleno, this is all I've ever known. The only lawn signs I see in my town so far are Bernie signs. I don't personally know any Republicans or Libertarians. I feel truly blessed, too

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. Former blue-stater living in Texas... I put on my Bush family (Dumb and Dumber)

T-shirt as often as I can and go about my day. I get a lot of smiles and "cools" over that. I sometimes feel like many of my neighbors are held prisoner by their dumb Republican votes, BUT I have to admit, I live in a fairly liberal neighborhood. I only experience the stupidity when I visit the outer edges.

In short, with all of the transplants and changing attitudes, I don't think it will take much to turn Texas blue-ish-purple here soon.

[Tree-Hugger]

20. I live in a blue state, but....

It's barely blue. I am from PA. We have. Dem governor, but he can barely get anything done because we have a Republican legislature.

I was born and raised in Philly and lived there most of my life. I now love in a Philly suburb. The tea is strong here. Lots of confederate flags and bumper stickers. Lots of gun 'n' constitution stuff. Plenty of bumper stickers telling Muslims to leave or die. It's super racist, misogynistic, and bigoted around here. I have plenty of neighbors that display the tea party flag. Not many political signs around here so far, which is odd, but most are for Trump.

I work for a very large company and I deal with the public all day long. That's my job - interacting with people. I cannot believe the types of things people say out loud. Coming out as a liberal gets you yelled at. I won't lie - I don't have liberal bumper stickers on my car anymore because people got downright scary when it came to the COEXIST and environmental stickers I had on my old car. Threats, slurs.

Philly isn't much better. It's thought of as a liberal city, but racism is strong there and the red has truly been bleeding in these past few years.

Just a few miles west of me brings me to houses with militia signs.

I sometimes wonder how PA is considered a blue state.

[Whiskeytide]

21. Most of the conservatives I know are traditional...

...republicans who oppose taxes, big government and government waste. Many friends and much of my extended family fall into this category. We often discuss politics, and it is always friendly and polite. Extreme views are rare, and the fascist, racist and misogynistic views we often attribute to republicans broadly are not really a part of my experience with them.

All of them - or at least most of them - know my political views, so perhaps they keep it in check when I'm around. But they are respectful of me and I them. They want most of the same things I do, and their vision of America is not so different as mine - they just have a different idea of how we get there.

I know only a few teabagger whack jobs personally - and they ARE batshit crazy in many ways. But I don't really "hang out" with them.

I will admit that the teabaggers dominate local politics and the local radio airwaves. Dems seldom even run for state and local offices in this part of the State - so the fights are during the republican primaries. For the past 6 to 7 years they have been basically "who hates Obama more" contests. So .... someone is voting for these idiots - but I'd be hard pressed to identify anyone I actually know and spend time with as one of their constituents.

Just my experience.