Why is suburban Maryland so leftist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Traditionally, national elections were about "the battle for the suburbs"... the middle ground voter between the urban liberals and the rural conservatives. You hear about the proverbial suburban moderate, small business owners who would like a tax cuts, suburban soccer moms who care about gun control, that sort of thing. At least that's what the mainstream media or a lot of political conventions like to portray.

Why then is suburban Maryland (specifically the DC metro, white people in Baltimore County less so) extremely leftist? Not just Democratic, but far left Democratic? I guess Arlington and Alexandria VA are sort of like that, but not Fairfax or Loudoun. But places like Bethesda seem to be full of California-type farmers market-shopping, NPR listening, Prius driving liberals, and Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Hyattsville, College Park downright socialist. There were a bunch of socialists that won Maryland state and local elections too.

Why is suburban Maryland politically more like urban DC rather than other suburbs of metropolitan areas, like Orange County or like suburban Chicago, Philly, or Houston?

You say “leftist” like it is a bad thing. In fact, it’s mainstream America.

You mean it's bubble America.

You are likely to be as surprised in 2020 as you were in 2016.

I'd encourage you to add some diversity to your personal and professional life.

Oh, honey. Bless your heart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore City has been a big labor union town
for over 150 years. I think Baltimore City and Baltimore
County's link to labor unions has driven the link
to liberalism for decades.

In Maryland you typically have to go to a rural county on
the eastern shore or in the west to find a conservative.

Except Baltimore doesn’t manufacture anything anymore except crime stats. So the whole union thing is pointless.

Bethlehem Steel, gone.
Martin Aviation, gone.
GM, gone.
Domino Sugars, gone.
DOW chemicals, gone.
Stanley/Black and Decker, gone.


What’s left? Some Teamster’s Longshoremen at the Ports of Baltimore? Yeah, big voting block there....

Yes, I was going to mention that Baltimore was a big blue collar manufacturing town for decades and the factories employed tens of thousands of people. Union shops pulled out but left behind the voting histories of the people. Other states in the US are more willing to work with US manufacturers. Maryland also
has very high state taxes that are less attractive to manufacturing. So, manufacturers pulled out but left behind the blue collar union voting block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What's leftist to you is centrist to me, OP. I'm from Europe, where most countries have decent parental leave, subsidized daycares and health care systems that don't fleece patients and the nation. The US Democratic Party is centrist compared to the multiple Left-wing parties in Europe.

You left paradise. Why?

[Anonymous]

MoCo used to vote for people like Charles Mathias and Connie Morella.

arguably the GOP left MoCo behind. That is certainly part of it.

[Anonymous]

I moved to the area a couple decades ago after a factory closing in the rust belt. I settled into northern Virginia with a lot of other white folks like me who came for the jobs.

About 20 years ago I got married and we moved to Montgomery County, despite the commuting issues. We were starting a family and the schools were one factor. The other factor that I remember was that I was starting to see a rising level of openly racist talk around me. I didn't want to deal with that.

The Big Sort. That's me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MoCo used to vote for people like Charles Mathias and Connie Morella.

arguably the GOP left MoCo behind. That is certainly part of it.

This is part of it. MCGOP has really failed to put up moderate candidates. Look at who they put up against Elrich -- Ficker. No chance to win that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MoCo used to vote for people like Charles Mathias and Connie Morella.

arguably the GOP left MoCo behind. That is certainly part of it.

Today's GOP is nothing like the GOP of 30 years ago.

-signed a former R

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Traditionally, national elections were about "the battle for the suburbs"... the middle ground voter between the urban liberals and the rural conservatives. You hear about the proverbial suburban moderate, small business owners who would like a tax cuts, suburban soccer moms who care about gun control, that sort of thing. At least that's what the mainstream media or a lot of political conventions like to portray.

Why then is suburban Maryland (specifically the DC metro, white people in Baltimore County less so) extremely leftist? Not just Democratic, but far left Democratic? I guess Arlington and Alexandria VA are sort of like that, but not Fairfax or Loudoun. But places like Bethesda seem to be full of California-type farmers market-shopping, NPR listening, Prius driving liberals, and Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Hyattsville, College Park downright socialist. There were a bunch of socialists that won Maryland state and local elections too.

Why is suburban Maryland politically more like urban DC rather than other suburbs of metropolitan areas, like Orange County or like suburban Chicago, Philly, or Houston?

Because they are well educated individuals.

[Anonymous]

The people in MoCo are smart and operate with good faith. The Trump supporters are (i) stupid/racist, or (ii) greedy, or (iii) both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people in MoCo are smart and operate with good faith. The Trump supporters are (i) stupid/racist, or (ii) greedy, or (iii) both.

Wow.

OP managed to bring in those famous MoCo totalitarian commies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people in MoCo are smart and operate with good faith. The Trump supporters are (i) stupid/racist, or (ii) greedy, or (iii) both.

Wow.

OP managed to bring in those famous MoCo totalitarian commies.

Historically, totalitarian commies did not like the educated class. In the US, it's the Rs that mock the educated class.

[Anonymous]

MoCo and PG really aren't that leftist. They are Democrats but not leftist.

PG County has a lot of African American social conservatives... Black Christians, first generation immigrants who probably think all the talk about gender pronouns and #wokeness is whack. They may vote for Democrats and hate Trump, but I wouldn't be surprised if your typical Black resident is conservative or moderate. Most young black people I know, they want to make money, own guns and are not all about the PC white people speak.

Montgomery County is not really leftist either. The socialist whackos are very few but very loud. Elrich got elected only because the rest of the primary vote was split six ways. The overwhelming majority voted against Elrich (and no, not just choosing another candidate, they really did specifically vote for anyone but Elrich). The other thing is even Elrich himself is not a leftist - he fakes some socialist "red" meat to win over the Bernie Bros but he's underneath it all a Nimby. He's just clever enough to know that you need the young white Bernie Bro vote combined with the gray haired Nimby's to win the election. I'm pretty sure no POC voted for Elrich.

In general I think MoCo and PG want pro-business moderates, they just can't pool their votes together enough to elect them. The most popular as in well liked and favorable politicians are Hogan, Peter Franchot, David Blair (he didn't win, but he came within 70 votes after never having public office and with no name recognition against a 16 year incumbent councilman), Angela Alsobrooks (she is pro-business and pro-development), and MoCo councilman Andrew Friedson also comes to mind. I really don't think your average person believes Montgomery County will become a workers paradise governed by the Revolutionary Vanguard of Takoma Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Traditionally, national elections were about "the battle for the suburbs"... the middle ground voter between the urban liberals and the rural conservatives. You hear about the proverbial suburban moderate, small business owners who would like a tax cuts, suburban soccer moms who care about gun control, that sort of thing. At least that's what the mainstream media or a lot of political conventions like to portray.

Why then is suburban Maryland (specifically the DC metro, white people in Baltimore County less so) extremely leftist? Not just Democratic, but far left Democratic? I guess Arlington and Alexandria VA are sort of like that, but not Fairfax or Loudoun. But places like Bethesda seem to be full of California-type farmers market-shopping, NPR listening, Prius driving liberals, and Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Hyattsville, College Park downright socialist. There were a bunch of socialists that won Maryland state and local elections too.

Why is suburban Maryland politically more like urban DC rather than other suburbs of metropolitan areas, like Orange County or like suburban Chicago, Philly, or Houston?

Because they are well educated individuals.

Because they love being in an echo chamber. People who are obsessed with politics are the biggest weenies. There is a huge correlation between people who compulsively listen to propaganda like NPR or Fox and being a loser with no hobbies.

[Anonymous]

One word... Ficker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What's leftist to you is centrist to me, OP. I'm from Europe, where most countries have decent parental leave, subsidized daycares and health care systems that don't fleece patients and the nation. The US Democratic Party is centrist compared to the multiple Left-wing parties in Europe.

You left paradise. Why?

To come here and enjoy the freedom she didn’t have at home, while she works to destroy it.