Is Columbus a liberal city?

[colrex7]

A lot of people use the phrase “liberal city” or “conservative city” as a way to describe a place. I’m wondering, what makes a place “liberal” or “conservative”?

Is it based on if the majority of the people who live there are democrat or republican? Is it based on the general region or just the central city?

It seems like liberal and conservative cities are relative based on what you compare them too. But, Im just wondering what everyone considers a liberal city, and a conservative one.

Finally, what is Columbus? More liberal or conservative?

[Antonio]

colrex7 wrote >>
A lot of people use the phrase “liberal city” or “conservative city” as a way to describe a place. I’m wondering, what makes a place “liberal” or “conservative”?
Is it based on if the majority of the people who live there are democrat or republican? Is it based on the general region or just the central city?
It seems like liberal and conservative cities are relative based on what you compare them too. But, Im just wondering what everyone considers a liberal city, and a conservative one.
Finally, what is Columbus? More liberal or conservative?

It leans more towards the liberal side.

The party make up on city council and the mayors office reflects that.

[Walker Evans]

Good related topic/poll as it relates to CU readership:

Political Alignment of Columbus Underground Readership

[rus]

Antonio wrote >>

colrex7 wrote >>
A lot of people use the phrase “liberal city” or “conservative city” as a way to describe a place. I’m wondering, what makes a place “liberal” or “conservative”?
Is it based on if the majority of the people who live there are democrat or republican? Is it based on the general region or just the central city?
It seems like liberal and conservative cities are relative based on what you compare them too. But, Im just wondering what everyone considers a liberal city, and a conservative one.
Finally, what is Columbus? More liberal or conservative?

It leans more towards the liberal side.
The party make up on city council and the mayors office reflects that.

+1

[Parker]

rus wrote >>

Antonio wrote >>

colrex7 wrote >>
A lot of people use the phrase “liberal city” or “conservative city” as a way to describe a place. I’m wondering, what makes a place “liberal” or “conservative”?
Is it based on if the majority of the people who live there are democrat or republican? Is it based on the general region or just the central city?
It seems like liberal and conservative cities are relative based on what you compare them too. But, Im just wondering what everyone considers a liberal city, and a conservative one.
Finally, what is Columbus? More liberal or conservative?

It leans more towards the liberal side.
The party make up on city council and the mayors office reflects that.

+1

+1 more… unless you compare to Portland, OR.

[lakeerietransplant]

No question, Columbus is a liberal city. Republicans used to compete, now there is no way in hell that a Republican will win here or countywide (consistently) for the foreseeable future.

[Andrew Hall]

There is a difference – way too often ignored – between liberal and Democrat as well as conservative and Republican. This is especially true when you get to the municipal level. It is extra true in Ohio. The party affiliation lingers by nature of American politics, but ideology largely goes away.

In fact, our governmental system has been increasingly designed for exactly that goal. At the level of the municipality, stuff has to get done. Reformations, mostly unnoticed except by policy geeks, have continually removed big picture concerns which bring out ideological battles from the muni government having much say over them. What hot-button issues that divide does the City gov have any say over?

It is unfortunate that our city government has not matured enough to where we have a robust two-party system going on. What we do have – beyond liberal/conservative – is a fairly narrow set of interests and operators defining the process rather than competing. For example, I know someone who ran for Council as a Republican and who is probably more “liberal” than some on the Council.

A.

[rus]

Andrew Hall wrote >>
For example, I know someone who ran for Council as a Republican and who is probably more “liberal” than some on the Council.
A.

Curious: What made / makes this person more “liberal”?

[Andrew Hall]

rus wrote >>

Andrew Hall wrote >>
For example, I know someone who ran for Council as a Republican and who is probably more “liberal” than some on the Council.
A.

Curious: What made / makes this person more “liberal”?

Probably about what you’d think.

A.

[Walker Evans]

lakeerietransplant wrote >>
No question, Columbus is a liberal city. Republicans used to compete, now there is no way in hell that a Republican will win here or countywide (consistently) for the foreseeable future.

One came pretty close during the lat city council election, and he’s running again. November is a long way off, so I’m not ready to make any bets just yet, but I think “no way in hell” might be a stretch.

[rus]

Andrew Hall wrote >>

rus wrote >>

Andrew Hall wrote >>
For example, I know someone who ran for Council as a Republican and who is probably more “liberal” than some on the Council.
A.

Curious: What made / makes this person more “liberal”?

Probably about what you’d think.
A.

Well, that’s kinda why I ask. On a lot of issues, there’s not as much correlation as there used to be between liberal / conservative.

People I’d describe as hard core right wing types that see abortion and gay marriage as things the state should not be involved in.

People I’d describe as hard core left wing types who are anti-abortion, others who are pro-gun.

So, at least in my admittedly small sample set, the old social issue distinction seems kinda fuzzy. Hell, some republicans ( traditionally, the “conservative” party, although that’s arguable ) are in favor of repealing don’t ask, don’t tell while a sitting democrat ( traditionally “liberal”, but again arguable ) president is against it ( http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=115643 ).

Which is why I asked. I wondered why you considered this person more “liberal”.

[jackoh]

I have always thought that a prominent hallmark of a liberal was a tolerance for and acceptance of many different modes of living, while conservatives seem much more skeptical of behaviors lying outside of the prevailing social norms. By this measure, Columbus can be seen to be somewhat “liberal.” As an example, Columbus generally tolerates and, perhaps, accepts Gay Pride weekend; and was ,also at one time, home to Larry Flynt and Hustler. While Cincinnati, by contrast, resisted and actively prosecuted the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit at their art museum and also prosecuted Flynt and Hustler. And this wasn’t just a function of a transitory political regime but seemed to spring from a basic culture in the city.

[Andrew Hall]

jackoh wrote >>
I have always thought that a prominent hallmark of a liberal was a tolerance for and acceptance of many different modes of living, while conservatives seem much more skeptical of behaviors lying outside of the prevailing social norms. By this measure, Columbus can be seen to be somewhat “liberal.” As an example, Columbus generally tolerates and, perhaps, accepts Gay Pride weekend; and was ,also at one time, home to Larry Flynt and Hustler. While Cincinnati, by contrast, resisted and actively prosecuted the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit at their art museum and also prosecuted Flynt and Hustler. And this wasn’t just a function of a transitory political regime but seemed to spring from a basic culture in the city.

Dude, that is way old news. And speaks to my point – even in socially conservative Cinci, the political culture (and the defining legal landscape around it) has evolved which neutralizes a lot of these squabbles. A few years ago, Cinci rolled back a charter section handcuffing anti-orientation discrimination. The same local concerns as Columbus, primarily economic, start to take precedence. Cinci now has a very robust and dynamic political culture at the City level and the fault lines are not liberal/conservative.

A.

[colrex7]

Interesting comments….

It seems there are two components in which make up a city’s “liberal vs conservative” nature. 1.) Political 2.) Social

I tend to think that liberal places are more progressive (socially and physically), while conservative places are not. But I guess it takes many components to really declare a place as liberal or conservative.

[dubdave00]

Depends on how liberal you are comrade. :-)

Honestly, I don’t like it when we label cities as liberal or conservative especially since most people can’t even define what liberal or conservative means.

Plus, so many things come to my mind when a question like that arises. Are we talking political structure? Culture? Ideological-leanings of residential majority? Heritage, Architecture, and Design makeup?

To me, discussions like this are up fun, but endless. It’s like the “Is America Good?” question Bill O’Reilly throws out. Ok, how do you define “America” (politics, heritage, people, culture) and what’s the basis to judge it as “good”?

This also reminds me of rock music debates over whether Sufjan Stevens, Kings of Leon, or Mumford & Sons is alternative or mainstream.

It’s simply a matter of taste.

[Author]

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