I don't understand how they can rate the most liberal place a full point from zero but the most conservative less than half a point from zero. It would seem zero should be a median.

Also, what's up with rating suburbs like Mesa AZ and Aurora CO on equal footing with cities? Charles should weigh in on that.

If we paint up the Columbia tower like the Pride flag we could probably overtake the #2 spot.

Where's Salt Lake City on that chart? According to the accompanying map, it's the most liberal city in Utah. I'm curious to know where it fits in the spectrum.

@1 To your first question: Cities are generally more liberal than rural areas, aka "Real America."

To your second point: They considered any city with a population of 250k or more. Mesa is AZ's third largest city.

Ah, yes, but we should be first to rename Mt. Rainier, Mt. Obama.

@9:

If we REALLY want to move up a notch on the liberal-scale, we should start calling Mt. Rainier by its original Puyallup designation, "Tahoma".

The study defining if the statement means, "democratic party line" or "textbook definition" would have been a lot more helpful as to why we got this rating.

wikipedia: ""[Liberalism supports] ideas such as free and fair elections, civil rights, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, free trade, and private property" and "classical economics, free trade, laissez-faire government with minimal intervention and taxation and a balanced budget.""

http://www.ctausanovitch.com/Municipal_R…

They rate Buffalo as more liberal than Portland, OR? I've spent much time in both places, and I can tell you that whatever standards they are using to define "liberal" are way way off.

LA is #18??
That's absurd.

@3 Those people live in Montgomery County.

Don't feel bad Seattle.

You're still number one on the Worst Cities for Heterosexuals chart!

Comparing Seattle's liberalism to that of Boston, NYC, and Chicago is Apples and Oranges--Many more Black and Latino people in B-town, NYC, and Chicago; the people in those cities confront more racial diversity than Seattle. The competition for the economic benefits between racial and ethnic groups in those cities tends to feel a little more cutthroat as a result imo. The increased confrontation in daily and economic life imo also impacts upon liberalism, or lack thereof.

The Seattle area's diversity in black and Latin presence pales significantly compared to those cities. Because people in Seattle rarely confront diversity, many attitudes about race are much more intellectual rather than having been formed from personal engagement. Seattlites are not as tested in their views on race due to not having significant engagement in personal life nor economic benefit competition as a result.

So this survey/chart may not be all that applicable.

@17:You are insane because you overemphasize interracial relations ( and downplay if not outright ignore intraracial relations, not to forget interracial co-operation). And you also downplayed interclass conflict:go back to stormfront, you racist motherfucker! --- http://www.inequality.org

@18 YOU GOT ME ALL WRONG

I'm not against interracial nor intraracial relations, I'm very pro all intermingling of all kinds. I just wanted to say that the racial dynamic matters more than you think in addition to interclass conflict.

Most White Americans are dumb because it seems that if you go by their rhetoric, they believe that Socialism would only benefit the Lower Class ( instead of Everybody, which is exactly what it would do. And making and keeping decent humans poor is a crime in and of itself ( not to forget KKKorporate Welfare: the Lion's Share of all Welfare in History. --- http://www.corporatewelfare.org & http://www.ctj.org & http://www.nbufront.org ).

@19:Classism is not dependent upon be-LIE-ving in human races (nor is Class dependent upon one's alleged racial status). Most Americans are race conscious, but not class conscious: ergo the CON- tinuing political apathy and voting against the best interests of one's socio-economical class. You can't be both a Racist and a Socialist: the Human Heart will never be big enough to fit both contradictory ideologies. (and by "interracial relations" I am not speaking exclusively about romantic ones: the so-called "Blue" states and counties are the most racially segregated in the U.S.A. --- http://www.census.gov ).

Fact: the Blacker the metropolis, the more likely it will be to the Political Left.

The space needle should fly the Trans Pride flag next year...

@21: "be-LIE-ving" "CON- tinuing"
Into the trash it goes.

This report is obviously fixed

We're Number One!

I wonder why Clay Bennett didn't want the Storm?

We should have open pot cafes. Republicans should be given a consolation free one-way bus ticket to Idaho.

@29, he thinks because he can't get any, it must be Seattle's fault.

@22
Thanks to racism that is. So many blacks don't vote because they are libertarian or conservative and the Republicans are often (but not always) too damn racist and the libertarians don't try/are irrelevant (for the time being) So a chunk of blacks vote for the DemoKKKrats while the rest sit on the sidelines, shaking their heads.

The Republicans are terrified of losing the rural vote to Democrats, and the Democrats are terrified of losing the black vote. Which is why every time a black conservative or libertarian comes out, the DemoKKKratic hate machine is turned on full blast.

Studies that compare municipalities rather than metropolitan areas don't tell you a whole lot because city limits are kind of arbitrary in our sprawling areas. If seattle happened to extend into south king county or wrapped around to the eastside, for example, all of the sudden it would become more conservative without anyone's political leanings changing. Many cities' boundaries extend into what is generally seen as suburban development, while others are limited to their core. That makes a difference.

@32 - It's more like we hate political stupidity no matter what race it's oresenting itself through. Alan Keyes has batshit political ideas. So do you. I'd still be calling you both idiots even if you were white.