As Josh Holland points out, the US is dividing into two different countries as state legislatures in red and blue states pursue much different visions of what kind of society we should be. Therefore, it isn’t surprising to see articles which ask which states are doing the best at creating liberal (or conservative) paradises.
The Wire makes the case for Connecticut, Maryland, and New Mexico. I’d argue for Vermont.
What do you think?
New Mexico has a Republican Gov. Would not put them up there.
Vermont sounds about right.
Maryland has been passing liberal legislation like a conservative legislature on steroids
BooMan, the link to The Wire doesn’t work – you have a “%22/” at the end of the URL.
http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/04/which-state-is-winning-the-race-to-become-the-next-liberal-p
aradise/360334/
Thanks, the link was missing a ” in the html.
Oh come on, let’s hear it for the West Coast! Go WA state!
Vermont.
It’s like Denmark only they got Ben & Jerry’s.
AG
Lots of pretty blondes?
Yup.
AG
She’s a keeper.
Look at the horns on that one!
Vermont is a lot colder than Denmark.
True in winter, not in summer.
I like cold weather. I like cold weather populations, too. It freezes the glitz and bullshit right out of them. All’s that’s left is the real deal.
AG
Petrostate North Dakota for the Reds, using up the wealth as fast as they can and stepping over the homeless and ignoring the socialism of state owned bank, flour mills, and their great education system.
New Mexico is a hodge-podge. The legislature is Dem, but just barely. The governor is Republican. Some areas of the state are ultra-liberal. Some oil and gas producing areas are very conservative. The effort to ban abortion in Albuquerque failed and same-sex marriage is legal. But marijuana didn’t make it through the legislature and surely would have been vetoed. Same with a higher minimum wage. So areas of the state are a liberal paradise and other parts are surely not.
Vermont
washington.
gay marriage (by popular vote not just a judge), pot, highest minimum wage in the country (tied to inflation), among the strongest Obamacare performing states (other states ask us how to do it right), strong jobs, education.
hicks around the state outside of seattle, but seattle dominates the state.
one of only a few states where if only white voters counted, Obama still would’ve won.
but hilarious watching people who only know the east opine.
And the governor has endorsed a $12/hr minimum wage, and soon Seattle is likely to enact some version of $15/hr. Again, indexed to inflation.
Were it not for a Republican minority controlling the state senate the last two years (don’t ask), it’d be a slam dunk.
Seattle is one of the three places i want to relocate to.
At this time there are only thirteen states with a DEM Governor and legislature. (24 are GOP controlled – one of which is PA which hasn’t expanded Medicaid nor legalized same sex marriage.)
Colorado is moving quickly into the “liberal paradise” category. (DEM Gov, legislature, two DEM US Senators, US House delegation 50/50% (leaving some work to be done) and legalized pot.)
It’s a lead, but a thin lead. Yes, the states population of hispanics and younger people is growing, changing the demographics, but the Secretary of State is a proud member of the Racist party and does everything he can to tilt vote-counting his party’s way.
You can bet that if the Racist party gets the majority again they’ll pass every far right measure they can as fast as they can to try to rig future elections. I have no doubt that they’ll try to redraw the state district boundaries as Texas and Pennsylvania did.
Our best hope is to have severe cuts to all of the military bases here – even if it means short-term economic slumps. The military brings with them 80% GOP votes and really fucks things up all around.
“The Wire makes the case for … Maryland….”
Really? I’ve watched the whole series twice, and–though David Simon clearly has a lot of love for the place–I’m not sure the warts-and-all depiction, with a whole hell of a lot of warts, really “makes the case” for it.