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Thursday, August 11, 2005Flyover countySome group calling itself the Bay Area Center for Voting Research has ranked the 237 largest American cities according to their standing on the liberal/conservative political spectrum (via OC Blog). It's hardly surprising to find that Orange County dominates the top 50 on the conservative side, with Orange, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Rancho Cucamonga, Santa Clarita, Fullerton, Anaheim, and Costa Mesa all checking in. Orange County may not be quite as conservative as it used to be, but it's still "red" through and through. Don't let anybody tell you different. Comments:Do you think the quality of life is better in the top conservative cities or the top liberal cities (Detroit, Gary (IN), Berkeley, D.C., and Oakland)? Isn't Detroit, Gary and D.C. among the highest in murder rates? I'm not saying liberals murder more than conservatives, but I think it's a clear indication how ineffective liberal policies are. Well, I'd sooner move to Provo, Utah than to Detroit. Not that I particularly want to live in Provo. What it tends to be in cities like Detroit, is that the upper middle class (conservative) moves to the surrounding suburbs, and the cities themselves become havens for the poor living off of government subsidies. These are the people forced to remain because they can't afford to move out. The tend to be predominantly black (and other minorities), and blacks vote 90% Democrat (no matter what those policies do for them). Of course, there is more to it, but that is the jist of what I have heard. It ends up being a cycle, where people with enough money to leave do so to get away from the violence, etc., which means there are a higher percentage of people that are willing to commit crimes. I am surprised Madison is only 204th, but I have an inkling that that is partly due to the big cities below it (such as Philly and Chicago) having such huge black populations. Madison's is existant (unlike most OC cities), but not a huge percentage. At the same time, I have to believe that Irvine (68) is only as low as it is because of the UC there. The city is very conservative and the campus itself is conservative for a public university, but that still means the campus is pulling the city left. I believe what you're looking for is "white flight". One thing that always bothered me about Irvine is that, as a resident, you receive a quarterly prospectus (sort of like a stockholder – not a coincidence considering the Irvine Co. connection). Prominently displayed was a demographic study, showing the racial makeup of the community. I always felt it was sort of “hey, look at what good job we’re doing of keeping the blacks and Mexicans out!” Of course, they called it “diversity” (it was anything but). It always made feel a little dirty. I never got that. While I was a resident, all my years were spent living on the campus. Possibly the most dangerous place in the whole city to boot (which is to say not dangerous). "Orange County may not be quite as conservative as it used to be..." Ironic. I grew up in Orange County, and most of the time I lived there I was in pretty solidly Democratic districts, until the mid 80s (about the time I moved out of that area). The area is Dem again now, but it has also changed a lot demographically in the last 20 years. All right, back the Angels section of this blog. |
