Which is the most liberal of all the warm-climate states?

And don't include CA -- I can't afford to live there.

New Mexico, but it isn't that liberal all the time and is also quite cold too.
Austin Texas is liberal. Ashville North Carolina may be liberal. Georgia is not liberal but Atlanta is very pretty, if you have money.
What type of work are you looking for, OP? That would help us make recommendations. You might also want to consider liberal "islands." Austin, Texas. Durham/RTP, North Carolina, and also Asheville. Arlington, Texas, with its huge student population. Parts of New Mexico. Parts of Arizona. Basically, any town with a large university is going to lean to the left.
Bengali in Platforms
Gainsville Florida, not bad. It used to have a very liberal population and good green.
States, people, not places in states. So far New Mexico is the kinda answer. Nevada, for a state most recently Blue is also a good bet. But like a good gay/lesbian, stay in the big cities.
OP, where do you live now?
Hawaii.
I had the silly idea that, since I have no pension or savings for my old age, I would move back home to PA and resume working for the state government, which I did for seven years in my 20's. I know I will eventually get a state job, but this process is taking forever, and I'm almost out of $$. And I hate living here in Pennsyltucky -- the weather is making me suicidal and the people are, shall we say, a bit on the conservative side. I was teaching as an adjunct in FL, and barely making enough $ to live on, but I can also work as a statistician/market researcher, which I did before I began teaching. And I've been to Austin -- I hated it. Not really liberal and full of poseurs.
OP
There are a lot of areas in California that are not expensive, but they tend to be the ones that are the least liberal. Possible exceptions: some areas in the north coast (north of Sonoma County), although it's not very warm there either.
The answer is Hawaii, by far.
If OP can't afford to live in California, he can't afford Hawaii.
People can afford to live anywhere they have the desire to, however, if they will to live up to a certain lifestyle to which they've become a accustomed, they'll run into trouble. Ask anyone who has to relocate from Atlanta or Houston to Washington, New York, SF, or Boston.
No, OP would not be happy in CA. Really. Honest.
In plain English, STAY AWAY
If you can settle for living in the Boony areas of CA its not expensive but not liberal either
There are pockets of rural blue zones in California, R14. But OP has already has already ruled out anything but urban areas, apparently for reasons of higher gay culture.
I say go to North Carolina. If yu live in the University communities they are pretty liberal and the lifestyle & housing is comparatively cheap. Also Northern Virginia and Maryland. I'd head that way and see if I could get a job with the state.
OP, if you have no pension or savings and are running out of money. You should be looking for a good job anywhere you can get it.
R8, I feel sorry for you, looking for a great state job. Whenever a new gov. is elected, you could lose your great job.
New Mexico is only a warm state in the summer. It's fucking freezing in the winter.
Yes, New Mexico is cold and windy in the winter. The spring and summers are gorg! Another downer is the Catholic Church RULES the state. Sucks!
OP, how old are you?
OP, R5 is correct if you pick Las Vegas. You must dislike gambling and limit partying to survive. Possible to get a tip job and live like a king for very little. Good looking and charming, experienced waiters are extremely well-paid, even if they're not in a union restaurant. There's a reason Vegas is called "the 9th Island." While the bedroom communities of Summerlin and Henderson tend to be more family oriented, living closer to the strip (Las Vegas Blvd) there's a very different attitude, with a lot more fun-loving singles. Although the dress code is casual, those on the strip tend to be more status conscious. Tony Hseih, owner of Zappos, is revitalizing downtown, which is now rather "downscale." Then there's the quickly growing "arts district" with the monthly First Friday; blocks of art shows, music, performance art, and entertainment. OP depending on what you mean by "liberal" and your style, you might enjoy living off of "artsy" Charleston. Let me know if you have any questions that I can answer.
You guys think of Houston as conservative, but we have a lesbian mayor.
A summer evening at the Santa Fe Opera, the food, oh the food, holes in the wall food. New Mexico, how I loathe the place. Beauties never imagined and blowing red dirt. Bitter cold nights and mountain flowers. The Anglo hates the Mexican. The Mexican hates the gabacho the Spanish spawm hate everyone. I miss you naught New Mexico, save for the food, the humble food of peasants.
If you move to New Mexico, live in Albuquerque and visit Santa Fe every once in a while--not the other way around.
Remember, Albuquerque is an island. There's nothing else. That's it!
New Mexico is a large state and the weather varies. Southern NM is fairly warm in the winter. central New Mexico can get cold as well as places like Santa Fe and Taos since they are higher elevations. Winters don't last very long in New Mexico. I'm usually planting my garden by Mid March. There are not a lot of opportunities here. Pay is very low. Housing is inexpensive. People either really hate it here or really love it.
[quote]But OP has already has already ruled out anything but urban areas, apparently for reasons of higher gay culture. Oops. When I said this, I had misremembered part of R5's post as coming from the OP. Maybe he would be open to more rural zones.
I stayed a night in Albuquerque when I drove cross-country a couple of months ago. We went to the top of Sandia Peak, which was gorgeous. The rest of the state (at least what we saw from the highway) was pretty bleak. I loved the food though - especially the red chile.
[quote] I would move back home to PA and resume working for the state government, which I did for seven years in my 20's. PA is better than most think
Make sure to wear a caftan and earrings in NM
OP, Just found your earlier post. My Vegas post was geared to someone younger. While Vegas needs substitute teachers, unless you're working in the wealthier bedroom communities, I wouldn't recommend it. How about applying to UNLV? Warning, it's not known for brilliant students. At least the foreign born hospitality majors have a good excuse, and they need tutors too. Personally with your government background I would consider working for the police dept or as a 311 or 911 operator. They prefer older workers with solid backgrounds. Our new Smith's Center offers a wide variety of musical entertainment and cultural options. Believe it or not they love to hire seniors as ushers. If you have good credit, there are plenty of housing options as well.
Agree with R22. Vegas economy is starting to pick up, more people coming to gamble and more hotels being built. It is a very liberal area and that area will bring the votes to Obama. There's always something to do, the air is pretty clear, Housing affordable and food cheap. You've got your pick of buffets among the hundreds of casinos and they're reasonable.
Texas is not liberal, and Houston itself is not all that liberal. Still, it's possible to live here as a liberal. The mayor is an out lesbian. There are jobs to be had. And it's certainly a warm climate. The state government is infuriatingly bad and an embarrassment. And I don't see that ending soon.
First of all, I totally disagree with R24. I live in Albuquerque, and part of what I love about New Mexico is its multi-culturalism. If you're an asshole as I suspect R24 may be, you'll have problems wherever you go. After I moved out here, my mother kept making cracks about the heat, which she somehow decided was the same throughout the SW after visiting my sister in Las Vegas. Finally she asked me how I could stand living in the heat here, so I sent her a photo of myself on Christmas day standing outdoors in brilliant sunlight in a short-sleeve t-shirt. I asked her, "Does this explain anything?" It does get cold in central and northern NM in the winter, but I don't even own a winter coat because of the sun. I wear layers, not heavy clothing. It's nothing like being cold in a place like PA where it's gray and dark and oppressive. We usually get a couple of snows each winter, but anyone from PA would probably laugh at the light dustings that nearly close down the city. People never learn to drive in snow here because they don't have to, so they stay home. Usually the snow melts away as soon as the sun comes out in the morning. You know all those piles of snow all over the place in the east and midwest? Nonexistent here, because it melts. The one thing I would warn anyone about is that we don't have much gay culture here, if you're dependent on that. People tend to entertain in their homes, although there are a few gay nightclubs here. I don't miss that lifestyle, but I could see where that would bother some. The poster above who said live in Albuquerque and visit Santa Fe is right. SF is an hour from here and there's a train if you don't want to drive.
Venezuela
[quote]I was teaching as an adjunct in FL, and barely making enough $ to live on, but I can also work as a statistician/market researcher, which I did before I began teaching. Hate to say it, OP, but you BELONG with us here in Northern California. You are clearly intelligent and educated. Don't be intimidated by our high housing costs. Once you get a foothold in the Bay Area, your skills in statistics and/or marketing will translate to a better-paying job. Try sending your resume to bio- and high-tech places. I'm serious. Send your resume to SF temp agencies in SF. Living in the outer burbs and commuting via BART is as cheap as living in PA -- not that I've ever been to PA. The Sacramento area is cheaper, and might be a good starting point for a move to the Left Coast. We pay way over half our incomes on housing for the privilege of living here. That's just reality. I'm third generation local, have done much overseas travel, but little in the USA, and what I've seen I do not like. Always joyful to return to my home here. You'd love it here. And we welcome your kind. N. CA is filled liberal transplants like you, who fuel our technical and forward-thinking economy. Portland and Seattle might be more your speed. Cheaper housing costs there.
New Mexico.
I've visited both Albuquerque and the towns around Las Vegas before -- and both were places I was considering; but are there any jobs there? I have considered Houston; I actually like the city, but the thought of living in TX... Besides, I actually liked El Paso better. And I'm sorry, R37, but I find the weather in SF dreary and bleak. I used to live in a FL city with 360 days of sunshine a year, and the cloudiness of PA is a big part of what's depressing me. So as much as I like visiting SF, I wouldn't want to live there. There's a market research job in LA that's so interesting to me that I'm thinking of applying, but I never, ever wanted to live in LA. Hell -- I've never even visited, its reputation is so bad. But the job sounds fascinating and perhaps lucrative, so I may just give it a shot. I'm 54, BTW, and I came to PA because I worked for seven years for the state government in my 20's which would count toward my retirement; I would only have to work here 13 more years to retire at 67 and have a 20-year pension (assuming they still have a pension plan)... It seemed like a good idea at the time. But if I go two more months here I will be flat broke and will have to look at selling my car/FL house (currently rented)/whatever. Thanks for all the suggestions so far.
OP
Have to be in Houston next week for work, anything good about Houston?
"There are pockets of rural blue zones in California" Where?
OP, There are high paying jobs in Vegas, the issue is finding them. There is a completely different mentality in Vegas that was a total shock, coming from LA. DL don't kill me, but the very best source of professional jobs with current openings is the LDS Employment Center in North Las Vegas. It is totally free and they do NOT proselytize at all. Yes you will see pictures of the Mormon Church, and I'd advise not smoking or drinking coffee inside the building. Still located next to the huge Mormon Food Bank, it's staffed by very intelligent and skilled volunteer former hiring managers. You can even view their listings online, although they do have personal connections that are far superior. Vegas employers assume that if you use this resource you are "more conservative." In "Vegas language" this means that you know how to fill out a job application, have a professional resume, apply for the job conservatively dressed with a traditional hair style, don't have visible tattoos, and most importantly, can pass the drug test. The number one reason for being a no-show at work is "hung over." Huge bonus points if you have good credit and a stable job history. DL you would literally faint if you saw what people looked like when applying for even the "high status" Bellagio. (Flip-flops, shorts, old message T-shirts, etc) IMHO gays that "appear conservative" are now readily accepted in most work environments, especially because they tend to be child-free and adaptable to a 24/7 work availability.
Trying%20not%20to%20be%20too%20verbose
R41 Take a look at the map in the link. Notice the blue areas that are not in and around LA, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento? They are generally rural. College towns like Davis, San Luis Obispo, Chico and Arcata, for example. The entire north coast (mostly libertarian; where they grow most of the marijuana.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_California,_2008
For someone who's old, single and poor, OP sure is picky.
[quote]Where? Here you go, R41
http://cdn.ivn.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PoliticalGeogFigure-4_web-source-public-policy-institute-of-CA.png
R15
New Mexico, because I live here. I don't think the weather is as extreme as one thinks.
OP Because of what you wrote about your background you might want to look into FedEx headquarters over in Memphis, TN. Memphis, as well as the Congressional district it lies in, is the most historically Democratic area of Tennessee if not the whole entire South. The cost of living is very low as well. It is just an idea I am putting out there and nothing more.
Good%20Luck
[quote]If you move to New Mexico, live in Albuquerque and visit Santa Fe every once in a while--not the other way around The cost of living is much higher in Santa Fe. You will see more gay couples settled there. While the cost of living is lower in Albuquerque. Also, the chill factor is high in Santa Fe.
[quote]The poster above who said live in Albuquerque and visit Santa Fe is right. SF is an hour from here and there's a train if you don't want to drive Yeah, the train is located downtown, right across from the movie theater. The train is a fun ride to the heart of Santa Fe. Personally, I would settle in Santa Fe, because of the artsy-fartsy atmosphere. Gay couples, artists, and movie actors live all over Santa Fe. The Plaza is my favorite place to soak up the atmosphere!
Florida
South%20Beach
Definitely Hawaii.
Must be Hawaii.
OP you should also be looking for a Blue State that offers good state services. In some states medicaid and healthcare in general is well funded in other states it's non-existent. I would live in the VA MD area. I'd look at NJ too. NY too. Forget warm. Start thinking about employment opportunities and decent public services.