Thursday, August 18, 2005
TORAINE NORRIS
News staff writer
Birmingham is the 19th most liberal city in America and the most liberal in the Southeast, according to a study released Wednesday.

The study, conducted by the nonpartisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research, examined voting patterns of 237 American cities with populations of 100,000 and more and ranked them on liberal and conservative scales. They used results from the 2004 presidential election.

"We did it along the basic national state of mind of what's considered liberal and conservative," said Lindsay Hogan, a researcher with BACVR.

Among other Alabama cities included in the study, Huntsville ranked 138, Montgomery ranked 154 and Mobile ranked 167.

Detroit topped the list as the most liberal city in America, followed by Gary, Ind., Berkeley, Calif., Washington, D.C., and Oakland, Calif.

Provo, Utah, was ranked as America's most conservative city, followed by Lubbock and Abilene, Texas, Hialeah, Fla., and Plano, Texas.

The cities atop the two lists epitomize the nation's "political, economic and racial polarization," Jason Alderman, a center director, said in a release announcing the poll's results.

The center is based in San Francisco.



Duh. Look who's in charge.

Yeah I heard that on the radio this morning.  With no disrespect whatsoever intended, I can imagine that it has something to do with the area's particular demographics.

I'm surprised you all beat out Atlanta for the title (most liberal in the Southeast).

Simply look at the population breakdown and that explains everything.

Can't say our local rags and tv stations are conservative either.

Quoted: the population that supports birmingham do NOT live there. 90% of those forced to work in the city limits wouldn't live in birmingham proper if they had to. doesn't surprise me in the least.

Yep.

Also, what did the study use to define "liberal" and "conservative" ?

If they used democratic and republican, that is by no means a reflection of liberal and conservative per say. The South used to vote primarily democratic (white folks) when the area was at the boiling point in terms of race. Democrats in the area are traditionally Southern. I am speaking in generalities only. And TBS is dead right. Birmingham proper is nowhere you want to be when the Sun goes down. And nobody who lives in the area (including me) wants to pay taxes to a city that will piss away your hard-earned money. I live in a well-managed burb, like everyone else.

So what say ye on the study design?

I knew I left for some reason other than the traffic...

I ran into a guy who works security for Alabama Power in N bham at the range at Rockledge last Sat. He said the predominant activities in that area were male prostitutes and drug transactions. He was struggling with a Glock 19 his company had just supplied him. He shot a bunch, and I got the brass!