City ranks high as conservative (Colorado Springs)

The Springs ranked as the sixth-most conservative city in America out of 237 with at least 100,000 residents, according to a survey released Thursday by a voting-research think tank. More on this topic America's most conservative cities America's most liberal cities

It was the largest city in the top 12, outdistancing the next biggest city on the list by more than 100,000 people.

Colorado Springs’ placement on the list was enough to destroy a main theory of the Bay Area Center for Voting Research, the nonpartisan California group that conducted the survey.

“One of the trends that we thought we were finding was that conservative cities were smaller and liberal cities were bigger,” researcher Lindsay Hogan said. “Colorado Springs helps to prove that being conservative doesn’t mean being in a rural area or being in a small city.”

Colorado’s second-largest city did follow another pattern, however: The lower the population of blacks in a municipality, the more conservative it is.

America’s most conservative town — Provo, Utah — has a 0.5 percent black population, while the most liberal city, Detroit, has 81.6 percent, Hogan noted. African-Americans account for 6.6 percent of Colorado Springs’ residents.

Republican Party activist Don Gierard cited the large number of military personnel and religious organizations in the city. Other areas may have more of one of the groups or the other, but few can boast the concentrated combined percentage that occupy Colorado Springs, he said.

Rep. Larry Liston, also a Republican, noted that Colorado Springs has different kinds of conservatives.

“You hear people say: ‘I’m a fiscal conservative and a social moderate.’ Or: ‘I’m a social conservative and a fiscal moderate,’” the self-dubbed “thoughtful conservative” said. “Or they’re hard right on everything.”

Rankings were based on each city’s 2004 presidential vote, the one race contested in each place, Hogan said. Republican voters counted as conservatives, Democrats as liberals and third-party supporters as whatever label that party’s candidate accepted.

Richard Skorman, who is unaffiliated with a party but is the most liberal member of City Council, believes the moderate wing of the GOP is growing and a simple count of who voted for Bush doesn’t tell the full story.

Ellie Collinson, executive director of the nonpartisan but left-leaning Citizens Project, said she believes locals are more fiscally than socially conservative, defying national stereotypes of the city.

Seven other Colorado cities ranked lower on the list: Arvada (61); Westminster (79); Lakewood (85); Pueblo (107); Fort Collins (108); Aurora (161); and Denver (189).

Not takeing anything away from Colorado Springs but: Abilene, Texas is number 3

This just in: We're conservative Study findings are based on Abilene's voting record

By Brian Bethel / Reporter-News Staff Writer August 12, 2005

When it comes to being conservative, we're No. 3 - at least according to the Bay Area Center for Voting Research, a Berkeley, Calif., think-tank.

In a recent study that looked at which presidential candidates cities supported in 2004, Abilene is listed as a national bastion of conservative thought and a supporter of President Bush, bested only by Lubbock at No. 2 and Provo, Utah, at No. 1.

Big surprise, say self-proclaimed conservatives. And liberals, for that matter.

''Abilene has become progressively Republican over the years,'' said Dr. Roger Spier, president of the Taylor County Democratic Club. ''All you have to do is look at the results of the last election to see that.''

What it all means, however, depends on one's political point of view.

''When you travel through the district like I do x85 the conservative nature of the area is constantly reinforced,'' said 19th District U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, who represents Abilene and Lubbock - and, like President Bush, is a Texas Republican. ''I think the people of West Texas are God-fearing, love America and are by nature very conservative.''

At least some liberals beg to differ.

''The Republican Party has in the main been hijacked by an ultra-conservative movement,'' Spier said. ''They're riding on the bus to crazy town, and Abilene apparently has decided to go along for the ride.''

The Bay Area Center examined 2004 presidential election returns to see how people voted in each city. The two major candidates were the victorious Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat.

From those numbers, the center found percentages that were used to determine the voting habits of each city, said Lindsay Hogan, a spokesperson for the group.

While the study does show a strong Republican vote in Abilene, at least in the presidential election, even those who espouse particular philosophies often look at such studies with suspicion.

''I don't know what liberal and conservative really mean anymore,'' said Dave Haigler, Taylor County Democratic Party chairman. ''There are a lot of so-called conservatives, for example, who are on a campaign to undermine and dismantle our three-part separation of powers, which would not seem to be a conservative effort.''

Conservative newspaper columnist Cal Thomas - whose work appears in the Reporter-News and who called Texas ''one of the most pleasant places I've ever been,'' said he tends to find such polls ''suspect.''

''I often want a better definition of what conservative and liberal means,'' he said. ''Liberals care about their families and their children, just as conservatives do.''

Abilene's overtly religious nature - it is home to three Christian universities - was cited by some as part of its conservative appeal.

Eddie Jordan, pastor of New Light Baptist Church, said he has been impressed by the city's traditionally Christian nature.

''I do think conservative values are important here,'' he said. '' ... We have people who don't share those values, of course, but overall I think Abilene is a very conservative, thoughtful place.''

Abilene Mayor Norm Achibald agreed.

''I think it has a lot to do with our longtime history of being a conservative community, our West Texas values and our religious values,'' he said.

Top 10 Conservative Cities

1. Provo, Utah

2. Lubbock

3. Abilene

4. Hialeah, Fla.

5. Plano

6. Colorado Springs, Colo.

7. Gilbert, Ariz.

8. Bakersfield, Calif.

9. Lafayette, La.

10. Orange, Calif.

Top 10 Liberal Cities

1. Detroit

2. Gary, Ind.

3. Berkeley, Calif.

4. Washington, D.C.

5. Oakland, Calif.

6. Inglewood, Calif.

7. Newark, N.J.

8. Cambridge, Mass.

9. San Francisco

10. Flint, Mich.

Source: Bay Area Center for Voting Research

http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_3997110,00.html

Yeah, I noticed that.

But basically, as I have already noted earlier, this is based entirely on partisan voting trends, not on actual cultural factors.

For example, I do find it believable that Mobile is the most Republican large city in the state, after all, we elected the state party chair to be our first elected Mayor in 75 years, and odder still, he had strong black support. (Municipal elections are non-partisan)

However, if the question is, are we most conservative, I'd say the answer is a qualified hell no. Now, we're not liberal by any means, but, when you get down to it, this is not the Bible Belt, something which I can't say for say Birmingham or Montgomery. Despite the fact that Montgomery County was carried by Kerry, I do think Montgomery is the most conservative of the Big Four, based on the fact that well, it is very much a Bible Belt town.

You look at some of the other cities on the list, their placement and all, and it is just out of proportion to what I know about alot of these areas, and I find it absurd that Dallas is higher on the list than Austin. Granted, Austin is full of Willie Nelson types, people who would vote for Kucinich and yet still hunt deer. This said, I don't think this makes them more conservative than Dallas, cause I have always thought of Dallas as one of the most conservative cities in the country.

and I find it absurd that Dallas is higher on the list than Austin.

You need to remember what the study was based upon and what it included....... For example it isn't the Dallas area or Austin area. It is very specific: the city limits of Dallas, not the metro plex or even Dallas county.

They took the 2004 Presidential election results by precinct within these city limits of the cities cited and counted them either liberal [Kerry and any left leaning 3rd parties] and conservative [Bush and right leaning 3rd parties]. From that they calculated a percentage.

Example: Dallas [city] went for Kerry 75%+ to Bush 24%+... making Dallas the 32nd most liberal city in their study.

Their website has the study in detail some 40 pages or so with the methodology. You may find some other criteria that would yeild a different result but their data supports their findings as it's displayed, imo.

cause I have always thought of Dallas as one of the most conservative cities in the country.

Not any more. It is your typical big city. Remember, you start out by carving the Park Cities out of the middle of it. You still have conservatives in North and Far North Dallas, but they are outnumbered by Oak Cliff, East Dallas, West Dallas, and of course, Oak Lawn.

There might be a couple of Republicans on the City Council, but it is overwhelmingly liberal. One of the last 4 mayors was republican. The other 3 have been democrats from core constituencies.

Dallas County, on the other hand, has only one (as I recall) democrat among the officials elected county wide.

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