Did anyone think that the coalition of evil calling itself the NC GOP would get triggered by NC voting for a woman governor, a woman senator, and a biracial president in 2008? We voted one way and triggered that pathetic troll Art Pope and we all now suffer.
I want the Democrats back in power. Permanently. At any costs. To vote Republican is to side with racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and general cruelty plus fascism. We can be like Virginia if we can fix this problem.
One living in NJ (or CT) has more rights, a more responsive state government, and better quality of life than someone in NC. Better schools too since that seems to be the one thing people in NC consider when voting.
All apologies to Camden and the bad parts of Newark but NJ has a better quality of living and HDI than NC. Better to be there than say Lumberton or Kinston or Gastonia.
I know Danville is rough around the edges but its in a state that has a higher quality of living and HDI than NC. I know a lot of the difference is because of NoVA but thats a damning statistic.
Virginia is what NC could be if it used its brain. We should look at them and other states to the north if we want any hope. What downsides does Virginia even have?
Lot to unpack in that one but Iāll keep it top level - your perception of more rights, more responsive state government, and better quality of life are entirely subjective. Objectively, NJ and CT both have higher GINI coefficients (measure of inequality - high bad, low good) than NC, and some of the highest in the country. Objectively, they have much higher tax rates, and relative to those tax rates, not a whole lot to show for it. Both are essentially giant suburbs that act as commuter states that feed the major metro areas around them (PHL, NY, BOS) and Iād argue this is the only reason schools may be perceived as better bc ppl self select where they live and towns are more homogenous.
Just because you can smoke weed and gamble online (both of which I support btw) does not mean these states are a better place to liveā¦ objectively thinking about what ppl want - how many ppl are moving from the Carolinas to NJ/CT relative to the other way around??
That nobody is working on getting weed and gambling here, that there is no interest group or cause I can volunteer for, is infuriating. And the answer is way too many and it annoys me because who would want to move to a state that is behind with the times?
They have a lot to show for those high tax rates: Higher wages, better public infrastructure (think transit), expanded Medicaid, cheaper healthcare. Everyone distills areas to home prices and taxes, that always isnāt true. If it was, Southside Virginia would be booming as it has all the perks of the South for CoL and North for rights and Standard of Living.
Dude, to say southern Virginia has the best of both worlds is a bigger reach than Al Gore claiming he created the internet.
It sounds like you equate QoL with being able to strike up a blunt on a corner while placing sports bets on your phone without being bothered - to which I say, to each is own .If you want those things and are frustrated by the lack of engagement - start an interest group, get involved. But donāt expect ppl to drop their justifiably higher priorities under the guise of being morally superior or that what you want is solely in the pursuit of liberalism.
Enjoyed the discussion but I gotta bow out. Best of luck and roll 'em tight?
The Arlingtons and Alexandrias of Virginia which vote reliably blue bring the Danvilles and Martinsvilles and South Bostons up.
The parade of āitty bitty overlooked hick townsā that reliably vote red hold the Triangle, the Triad, and Charlotte down.
How does one do this? This stuff costs money to do and its hard to start an interest group without money. Where can I network? Its frustrating that we can make no headway when Virginia was able to do it because we have too few blue people here.
Not sure this is going anywhere productive so setting a timer to close this.
NC has purple turning blue heartbeats in the metros right now and the influx of residents from outside continue to tip it that wayā¦Advocacy options exist out there as a startā¦NC Norml , We Go High, gambling - you gotta follow the lobbyists 'cause your bookie probably doesnāt employ typical advocacy 
Your commentary on the money aspect - it may feel like that but both of these things will swing here just like the Education Lottery did and that progress will be a four letter word 'cause That S___ moves slow as F___ here. Economic opportunity trumps other dogma e_v_e_n_t_u_a_l_l_y
Hereās my issue with that: Not everybody who is moving here from points north (or west) are bringing the politics of their home regions with them, In fact, a lot are moving to NC because itās red, not to make it blue. Other states are in the same boat, see Idaho, Texas, even Tennessee.
Where do I find these pro-gambling lobbyists? Do I just stand on a street corner outside the State Capitol? Is there some easy to search database of lobbyists and their interests? If only there was some PAC that would run ads that would make Virginia as an attainable ideal for NC to look towards.
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