Which state is most culturally representative of the country?

[nclib]

Perhaps Ohio--what do you guys think?

[Nation]

I would say New York. You get EVERY type of person living in that state.

[The Duke]

Missouri.

Missouri is southern but not, midwestern but not, great plains but not, urban but not, rural but not.  Its everything and nothing.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Missouri.

Missouri is southern but not, midwestern but not, great plains but not, urban but not, rural but not.  Its everything and nothing.

HAHAH

[John Dibble]

I don't think the U.S. really even has a defined culture. We're large and are composed of immigrants and the decendents of immigrants from all number of places. We're more like a hodge podge of everyone else's cultures, but different areas also have their own individual charm, like the South for instance. The thing is though we've become quite tolerant when it comes to other peoples' cultures, which is not a bad thing.

[Lunar]

Hmm..I'll say New Hampshire.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Jersey of course

[elcorazon]

I'll say Illinois.  We've got elements of the south, midwest, rust belt, farm country, serious urban, suburban, etc.  

Ohio is pretty good too, as is Pennsylvania, maybe Missouri too.

[ATFFL]

Jersey of course

Thankfully, you are wrong.  Jersey is closer to Hell.

Probably Missouri.  Split down the middle in many ways.

New York City is not representative of the country, but the world.  Greatest city on the planet.

[Keystone Phil]

Missouri or Ohio

[opebo]

Missouri.

Missouri is southern but not, midwestern but not, great plains but not, urban but not, rural but not.  Its everything and nothing.

We have a dearth of Hispanics.

[Brambila]

California... we've got liberals, conservatives, red necks, communists, et cetera. Maybe Arizona as well.

[Lunar]

California... we've got liberals, conservatives, red necks, communists, et cetera. Maybe Arizona as well.

I'm not sure how representative the desert Southwest is of the United States culturally.

 California is significantly more liberal than the rest of the US, but due to the wide variety of landscape and people (farmers, loggers, huge fricking cities, etc.) I suppose there is a solid case.

I still say New Hampshire is the most.  I'd say they are right about what the average American is in terms of lifestyle.

[Akno21]

Jersey of course

New York City is not representative of the country, but the world.  Greatest city on the planet.

I'll agree with you on that. NYC is the best in the world.

America is too diverse to have one state that exemplifies the whole thing.

[Horus]

NY, OH, maybe MO.

[dazzleman]

I would say New York. You get EVERY type of person living in that state.

Maybe so, but not in the same proportions as in the country as a whole.

I'd say Missouri, based on the fact that it almost always picks the winner in presidential elections.

[tarheel-leftist85]

Most likely:  Missouri, Iowa, Tennessee
Less likely:  North Carolina, Arkansas

[phk]

If Missouri had more Hispanics, I would say that...

[memphis]

Hmm..I'll say New Hampshire.

New Hampshire is 95.1% non-Hispanic white. Definately not culturally representative of the whole country.

[Alcon]

Ohio

- The south part is rural.
- The centre is midwestern.
- The north is northern.
- One of the closest rates of city versus rural living to the country as a whole.

Illinois also qualifies.

[Erc]

If Indiana weren't so Republican...

[CARLHAYDEN]

Missouri

[Jake]

Pennsylvania

Huge minority city, large industrial city, corner of Appalachia, some Adirondackian areas, Mid-Atlantic suburbs, rural farm areas, industrial Mid-Western areas.

[Blank Slate]

Most Likely:  Missouri, Ohio, Virginia
Least Likely:  Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming

I chose the most likely states as being Missouri, Ohio and Virginia because I think these three states have probably the most diversive populations in the nation (as of now, this could shift to states such as Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, & Texas in the near future).  They trend Republican right now, but could switch to Democrat (they are the ones most likely to be up for grabs in 2008).  They have a population that is both rural, urban (larger cities, but not too large -- except for perhaps a few such as Cincinnati, the D.C. suburbs, Cleveland, St. Louis & Kansas City) and suburban within it's borders.   They are the msot culturally diverse when I have visited them or heard about them -- the population or at least the people I have met from these three states seem to be more representative of the cross of people (economically, socially, religious, racially) you meet from across the nation, and when they speak they seem to communicate well with everybody else across the nation.     

The reason why I chose the least likely states are:

1.   The population from these states are much more homogeneous (and therefore not as diverse) than the rest of the U.S.

2.   The politics in these states tilts to either going totally Conservative or Republican or totally Liberal or Democrat and not in the middle and therefore probably won't be states that will decide the '08 elections.  (Of course there are states not on that list like that such as Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas -- but all of those states do have some diverse population mix).

3.   Sometimes I find people from these states are sometimes the most difficult for me to comprehend because there are certain set notions of how things are "supposed to be" and if I'm having difficulty, so are others from across the nation.  They also many times have difficulty understanding me, even though I feel, from Georgia, I'm from one of the most diverse states in the nation.   Sorry if I offend anyone, but this is true.

4.   Some of the states from the northeast or midwest on my least likely list:   Connecticut,  Maine, Massachusetts,  Minnesota,  New Hampshire,  Rhode Island & Vermont are the most well educated people in this country (and don't get me wrong, I admire that myself).  But, the problem with that lies in the fact that the majority of the country right now (unfortunately) isn't that well educated.

5.   Some of the other states on my least likely list:   Idaho, Iowa, Kansas,      Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia are the most isolated geographically from the rest of the U.S. and many times are the least likely for people from the rest of the U.S. to visit for any length of time (not that is particularly correct thing for the rest of the citizens of the U.S. to do, but it just happens -- this might change overtime, but for right now this is the truth, unfortunately).   

This is just my humbled, but learned, opinion about this question. 

[MasterJedi]

Missouri or Ohio