"Southern" liberals

[nclib]

The threads about what constitutes the South inspired my thread. Often, we see social liberalism as being antithetical to Southern culture. We also consider liberal areas in Southern states (south FL, NOVA, Austin, etc.) as not being part of the South. Furthermore, plenty of social liberals living in other parts of the South (myself included) don't really identify with Southern culture. That said, there certainly are individuals who are both liberal and culturally Southern. Where would there be higher concentrations of such people? The place that comes to mind would be Nashville.

For the purposes of this thread, to avoid tangent about whether southern blacks are liberal, I'm mainly talking about whites.

[Sbane]

Nashville certainly is socially liberal....but it doesn't strike me as very "southern" (yeah, yeah capital of country music, but so what?). Probably not to the extent of Austin, NOVA, or the Research triangle, but still not what I expected. Though perhaps it's my expectations that were wrong.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Henrico and Richmond, perhaps?  I of course continue to call NOVA Southern

[phk]

Do people in those various socially liberal areas have a preference for things like country music and Southern food?

[Bacon King]

Anecdotally, most white liberals I've met from Louisiana are culturally Southern. The most extreme example, which I think I've mentioned on the forum before, was a fraternity brother from Shrevport who voted Gloria La Riva for President in 2008 and unironically had a confederate flag on the wall of his dorm room.

[freepcrusher]

Druid Hills area in DeKalb?

[DrScholl]

New Orleans counts, I think, it's character has a lot of southern qualities. Atlanta is also an example. Charleston also has liberal pockets that could qualify as very southern.

[Miles]

Anecdotally, most white liberals I've met from Louisiana are culturally Southern.

This would pretty much be me. I'm economically progressive, but a lot of my social views (except for some issues like the death penalty and stem cell research) are in line with those of most southerners.

There would probably be a lot of people like me in Chapel Hill and Raleigh; a lot of my friends there are liberal, but are otherwise culturally southern. Also, NC-11 and NC-07 come to my mind, or at least certain counties in those districts.

[Napoleon]

Anecdotally, most white liberals I've met from Louisiana are culturally Southern.

This would pretty much be me. I'm economically progressive, but a lot of my social views (except for some issues like the death penalty and stem cell research) are in line with those of most southerners.

There would probably be a lot of people like me in Chapel Hill and Raleigh; a lot of my friends there are liberal, but are otherwise culturally southern. Also, NC-11 and NC-07 come to my mind, or at least certain counties in those districts.

That isn't how I would define a Southern liberal. I actually consider what you're describing to be more moderate or even conservative. Not all Democrats are liberals.

[minionofmidas]

Realistically speaking, Austin is the answer. Nashville and New Orleans come to mind too. Gainesville. Certain neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads maybe. And - for an unexpected but not wrong answer - Little Rock.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Realistically speaking, Austin is the answer. Nashville and New Orleans come to mind too. Gainesville. Certain neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads maybe. And - for an unexpected but not wrong answer - Little Rock.

maybe, but I can't think of any.
I'm not really sure I'd know a socially liberal, culturally Southern place if I saw one though.

[memphis]

Midtown Memphis

[they don't love you like i love you]

Realistically speaking, Austin is the answer. Nashville and New Orleans come to mind too. Gainesville. Certain neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads maybe. And - for an unexpected but not wrong answer - Little Rock.

What about Atlanta and much of northern DeKalb?

[Verily]

Asheville seems to be missing from the list, although perhaps it is being categorized as culturally Appalachian.

[minionofmidas]

Realistically speaking, Austin is the answer. Nashville and New Orleans come to mind too. Gainesville. Certain neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads maybe. And - for an unexpected but not wrong answer - Little Rock.

What about Atlanta and much of northern DeKalb?

Too many northern transplants. I'm sure you'll find loads of southern Liberals there - it's where to move to for many of them - but any areas dominated by them? Not so sure. Might as well get to listing NOVA and the Tampa Bay.

I accept Asheville.

[Torie]

Doesn't Asheville have a lot of Yankees in it as well these days?

[Verily]

Doesn't Asheville have a lot of Yankees in it as well these days?

Not more than Austin, maybe fewer as none of the colleges in Asheville draws a lot of out-of-state students (unlike UT, or, say, UNC-Chapel Hill or Duke elsewhere in North Carolina). And Asheville doesn't have the high-tech industries that Raleigh or other NC cities do.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Realistically speaking, Austin is the answer. Nashville and New Orleans come to mind too. Gainesville. Certain neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads maybe. And - for an unexpected but not wrong answer - Little Rock.

What about Atlanta and much of northern DeKalb?

Too many northern transplants. I'm sure you'll find loads of southern Liberals there - it's where to move to for many of them - but any areas dominated by them? Not so sure. Might as well get to listing NOVA and the Tampa Bay.

I accept Asheville.

So how about Athens?

If you're going to include Gainesville, how about Tallahassee? I doubt there's that many northern transplants there, though it might be mostly transplants from the non-culturally southern parts of Florida.

The Hampton Roads areas could probably be identified by demographic comparisons on Dave's Redistricting App. Perhaps some areas in Richmond too.

And Louisville probably deserves a mention, even if many would argue (perhaps rightfully) that it's more Midwestern.

[they don't love you like i love you]

OK here's a Hampton Roads map. Color scheme:

Blue: Democratic and lots of blacks
Green: Democratic and lots of blacks...and other minorities
Red: Significantly white Democratic precincts

Definitely a distinct white liberal area in Norfolk. Obama did pretty strong among whites in the surrounding black precincts too based on the numbers:

[they don't love you like i love you]

And here's Richmond:



In this case though red could also mean "Heavily black, but also obviously full of white liberals." One precinct for example was 44% black and over 90% for Obama. That blue island precinct in the sea of red is majority black but Obama also clearly won the white vote heavily too, 61% black but over 90% Obama.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

OK here's a Hampton Roads map. Color scheme:

Blue: Democratic and lots of blacks
Green: Democratic and lots of blacks...and other minorities
Red: Significantly white Democratic precincts

Definitely a distinct white liberal area in Norfolk. Obama did pretty strong among whites in the surrounding black precincts too based on the numbers:

interesting map. sure, there are plenty of white liberal areas in Norfolk, but the question of  "culturally southern" is what I'm not sure about. It's not especially southern or yankee as far as i can tell. The Lee Hall precinct in Newport News is a better candidate for culturally southern, though I'm less familiar with it.

[minionofmidas]

Definitely a distinct white liberal area in Norfolk. Obama did pretty strong among whites in the surrounding black precincts too based on the numbers:

Yeah, that's normal. People who live in inner city neighborhoods that have the main minority (Blacks or Hispanics, as the case may be in the state / metro area in question) are heavily Democratic irrespective of their own race. People in the all-white neighborhood next door may not be, depending on the city and neighborhood in question (in any small southern city, for instance, they will be Republican). Also, Whites in suburbs with minorites may not be.
 
Fun fact. Look up Obama's best two precinct results in Montgomery County, Texas.

[they don't love you like i love you]

So what do you think about Athens, Tallahassee, and Louisville meeting the criteria? Richmond too as my above map proves.

[minionofmidas]

So what do you think about Athens, Tallahassee, and Louisville meeting the criteria? Richmond too as my above map proves.

Sure, fine. I'm sure there's some more places to list (there is a neighborhood in Memphis that would show up on that color scheme.) Though Louisville is only sort of southern, of course.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Yeah I noticed that in Memphis but was shocked at how small it is. And I admitted Louisville is only borderline, but probably deserves a mention regardless.

I'm not too sure what you mean by Montgomery County Texas though.



The one near the center is the only one Obama actually carried, it's a Hispanic majority precinct in Conroe. The other is 36.6% Hispanic VAP and gave Obama 43.5%.