Why are Tulsans so Conservative?

[RecycleMichael]

My online dictionary defines conservatism as:

1)Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.

2)Traditional or restrained in style.

3)Moderate; cautious.

I think that helps explain why conservatives tend to argue online. They are generally opposed to change and cautious about other views than their own. They also can be downright stubborn.

Remember the last presidential campaign. Bush made fun of Kerry for changing his mind and said he never would.

I still can't believe the American public voted for closed mindeness over open-mindeness.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

My online dictionary defines conservatism as:

1)Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.

2)Traditional or restrained in style.

3)Moderate; cautious.

I think that helps explain why conservatives tend to argue online. They are generally opposed to change and cautious about other views than their own. They also can be downright stubborn.

Remember the last presidential campaign. Bush made fun of Kerry for changing his mind and said he never would.

I still can't believe the American public voted for closed mindeness over open-mindeness.

Kerry was a populist, big difference between that and being open-minded.  Just like Hillary and Edwards.

[USRufnex]

"Why are people in the Tulsa Metro Area so conservative?"

Dunno.  

Why is the sky blue?

Why is it offensive to be even mildly critical of a Kennedy when living in Massachusetts?

Why are New Yorkers so rude?

Why is Chicago so full of BS? (hint:  they don't call it the "Windy City" because of the weather)

Why can't Indiana ever become "a swing state?"

------------------------------------------------

I think we have a "perfect storm" in national scale poltics that will keep Tulsa (and Oklahoma) in the "Red" column for years to come...

1.  The oil industry is still huge here and their people will wholehartedly support a candidate who thinks global warming is a hoax (see Senator Inhofe)... they will also support any politician who promises reduction or elimination of the "windfall profits tax" ... although these same people can be downright libertarian/liberal when it comes to social issues...

2.  The aviation industry has traditionally been big here... when I was growing up in Tulsa, some of my family members worked for either Rockwell, McDonnell Douglas or American Airlines... the first two, especially, had employees who were deeply affected by any cuts in military spending and experienced multiple temporary layoffs or lost their jobs completely... lots of these folks could have been counted on as pro-labor Dems once-upon-a-time, but voted as "Reagan Democrats" back in the day because of Reagan's call for a "strong national defense."  They still overwhelmingly vote Republican in US senate and presidential elections.

I keep wondering why local pols underestimate this voting bloc... it didn't come as any surprise to me that the very same Tulsans who voted for MASSIVE SALES TAX SUBSIDIES, GOODIES AND CORPORATE WELFARE specifically to woo Boeing in the Vision2025 tax package could turn around and vote against a River Tax that included massive promised private funds last October...

3.  The Religious Right.  This is the group that our urban/northeast/west coast biased "national media" seems pretty clueless about... and, no mistake about it, Tulsa's firmly part of the bible belt (many consider it "the buckle").  

But conservative Southern Baptists don't have alot in common with the speaking-in-tongues' Assembly of God folks who like to look down on the trendy evangelical "superchurches" who in turn disagree and consider themselves "non-denominational" and only rebuke their conservative Christian counterparts "in a spirit of Love."  []  Then there's the "we're the only ones going to heaven"Church of Christ... ("I could have danced all night... but I was 'Church of Christ'"...) []

What do these people have in common and why do they continue to vote Republican?  They want Roe v. Wade overturned.  They will never, ever  support legalized "gay marriage" per se... yet they have traditionally demanded public "prayer-in-schools"... freedom of religion?  sure, they believe in "freedom of religion"... which means, "you can go to any church you want to in Tulsa, just choose one..."  Alot of them still consider "evolution" as a flawed theory having no place in public schools and will support "intelligent design" yet can be suprisingly "pro-environment" if push comes to shove...

The idea of "tolerance" for these folks means they'll vote outside of their religious denomination for a conservative Catholic (see fmr. Okla. Sen. Don Nickles)...

---Okay, that was the cliffnotes version.  I could add Tulsa's Southern Hills country club Republicans and the urban/suburban/rural rednecks and wanna-be rednecks...

Actually, if you seek them out, you can find LOTS of Tulsans who don't fit very well into any of these catagories (doesn't make 'em democrat or liberal, just not your run-of-the-mill Tulsan who rubberstamps any Republican on the presidential ballot and demonizes any Dem)... this is almost as much fun as looking for republicans in Massachusetts... [}:)]

Instead of concentrating on the obvious, be on the lookout for "Weird Tulsa," which includes some pretty fun, eclectic and independent groups that include rebelious colored-hair and/or tattooed twenty-somethings... young and old bikers who still look like "freaks" with their long Leon Russell hair... rednecks and "good 'ol boys" who are much smarter than they let on... and ORU castaways and Rhema rejects (people who came here as young religious zealots from all over the country/world... stayed and... well... did an REM style "losing my religion")...
   
Hope this helps.

[KingMutt]

jiminy...you are completely wrong on your hunch.

Conan, that was funny.  But that guy would scare you too. Why don't you guys invite him to your next get together?  I'm sure we could all take him. []Better yet, you guys fight him and I'll keep his girl company. []

Anyway, like I said I am not bagging on anyone's point of view, I was just curious.  Thanks to everyone for their responses.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by KingMutt

jiminy...you are completely wrong on your hunch.

Conan, that was funny.  But that guy would scare you too. Why don't you guys invite him to your next get together?  I'm sure we could all take him. []Better yet, you guys fight him and I'll keep his girl company. []

Anyway, like I said I am not bagging on anyone's point of view, I was just curious.  Thanks to everyone for their responses.

Actually, by virtue of publicly posting lunch or happy hour plans, anyone is welcome to show up (Jerry Giordano ring a bell w/ anyone?) including the scary Italian guy or yourself.  So by virtue of that, we keep inviting him but he never shows up.  For that matter, neither do you. []

[Wilbur]

This is the true reason.

From http://meeciteewurkor.wordpress.com/


For those who slept through World History 101...... here is a condensed version.
Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter. The two most important events in all of history were:

1. The invention of beer, and
2. The invention of the wheel.

The wheel was invented to get man to the beer, and the beer to the man. These facts formed the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals
2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed. Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BB Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly BBQ's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs, the evolution of the Hollywood actor, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide all the meat and beer that conservatives provided.
Over the years, Conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass. Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.
Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of liberal women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat. Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women.. Conservatives are attorneys, big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.
Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing. Here ends today's lesson in world history.......

[]

[RecycleMichael]

This little old lady calls 911. When the operator answers she yells, "Help, send the police to my house right away! There's a damn Democrat on my front porch and he's playing with himself."

"What?" the operator exclaimed. "I said there is a damn Democrat on my front porch playing with himself and he's weird; I don't know him and I'm afraid! Please send the police!" the little old lady repeated.

"Well, now, how do you know he's a Democrat?"

"Because, you damn fool, if it was a Republican, he'd be screwing somebody!"