Why America's Whitest States Are Also Some of Its Most Liberal.

Okay, based on the analysis of the Reddit thread "Why do the New England states lean so hard to the left despite being the whitest states in the country?", here are some content ideas:

The core recurring issue/question is the perceived contradiction between high white demographics and left-leaning politics in New England. Users are seeking explanations beyond simplistic racial political alignments and are interested in deeper sociological and historical factors.

Here are some content ideas that could perform well:

  1. Content Idea: The "New England Anomaly": Debunking Race as the Sole Political Predictor

    • Concept: Directly address the original poster's question. Explain why New England's political leaning isn't solely (or even primarily) determined by its racial demographics. Focus on factors like high education levels, lower religiosity, population density (urban centers vs. rural outlook), and historical progressive roots (e.g., abolitionism, early labor movements).
    • Example Title Formats:
      • "Why America's 'Whitest' States (New England) Vote Blue: It's Not What You Think"
      • "The New England Paradox: Unpacking Left-Leaning Politics in Predominantly White States"
      • "Beyond Black & White: The Real Reasons New England Leans Left"
    • Target Audience: Politically curious individuals, people interested in US demographics and sociology, those questioning common political stereotypes, voters trying to understand regional differences.
  2. Content Idea: Urban Density & Education: The Real Drivers of Liberalism? (A New England Case Study)

    • Concept: Explore the strong correlation highlighted in comments between urban living, higher education, and progressive/liberal viewpoints, using New England as a prime example. Discuss how city life (reliance on public services, exposure to diverse ideas) and academic environments foster certain political outlooks, irrespective of race.
    • Example Title Formats:
      • "Is 'City Living' the Key to Liberal Politics? What New England Teaches Us"
      • "Smarter and Closer Together: How Education & Urbanization Shape New England's Leftward Lean"
      • "The 'College Town' Effect: Why Regions Like New England Defy Political Stereotypes"
    • Target Audience: Students of political science/sociology, urban planners, educators, people interested in the urban-rural political divide, politically engaged individuals seeking nuanced explanations.
  3. Content Idea: ELI5: Why New England Isn't a Conservative Stronghold (Despite What Some Might Expect)

    • Concept: A simplified, accessible explanation (like an "Explain Like I'm 5" post) breaking down the complex factors. Use analogies to explain how historical context (e.g., different settlement patterns, history of intellectualism), lower religiosity ("less emphasis on traditional social hierarchies promoted by some religions"), and exposure to diverse ideas in more densely populated areas contribute to New England's political identity.
    • Example Title Formats:
      • "ELI5: Why are some of the 'whitest' US states also the most liberal?"
      • "Confused About New England Politics? A Simple Guide to Why They Lean Left"
      • "The Not-So-Simple Reason New England Votes Democrat"
    • Target Audience: General public curious about US politics, younger audiences, people who find political discussions overly complicated, users who appreciate ELI5-style explanations.
  4. Content Idea: "Is New England 'Hard Left' or is the Rest of America Skewed Right?" - Understanding Political Relativity

    • Concept: Pick up on the comments suggesting New England isn't "hard left" but rather that the American political center (or Overton window) has shifted. Discuss how New England's brand of liberalism might be considered moderate in other Western democracies or even historically within the US.
    • Example Title Formats:
      • "New England: 'Radically Left' or Just... Normal? Examining the US Political Spectrum"
      • "The Overton Window in Action: Why New England's 'Left' Isn't What It Seems"
      • "Are We Mislabeling New England? What 'Left-Leaning' Really Means in the USA"
    • Target Audience: Politically savvy individuals, those interested in political theory and media analysis, people frustrated with political polarization and labeling.

These ideas aim to provide nuanced, educational content that challenges oversimplifications, which seems to be the core desire expressed in the original Reddit thread and its comments.

Origin Reddit Post

r/nostupidquestions

Why do the New England states lean so hard to the left despite being the whitest states in the country?

Posted by u/KingTechnical4806/10/2025

Top Comments

u/Taira_no_Masakado
Yeah, if you'd ever walked through some parts of Boston and New York, you'd see they're more center than left.
u/es_cl
Except rural/“smalltown” New England is most definitely more blue than the rest of the blue states.  No county in Massachusetts has voted red since Reagan. Recent election had three counties
u/es_cl
Except rural/“smalltown” New England is most definitely more blue than the rest of the blue states.  No county in Massachusetts has voted red since Reagan. Recent election had three counties
u/blipsman
More educated, less religious
u/Sands43
Also Overton window. NE is what we SHOULD call “normal moderate”. They aren’t left so much as how nutty the Fox News politics of the rest of the rural US is so ridiculously far right.
u/vivp13
I heard it in Utica.
u/Blue387
Both political parties used to have left and right wing factions; there used to be conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans. New England, and to a lesser extent New York, had been home
u/WippitGuud
Higher education, less religious, supports for progressive and social causes since the Civil War. Also, they're not "so hard" to the left. They're just left compared to the rest of the US.
u/Lower_Membership_713
oldest universities in the country = a legacy of education being home to the hub of the thirteen colonies means lots of big cities = exposure to different cultures and ideas
u/KronusIV
I'm not sure why you think skin color should be that big a factor? New England has a lot of good colleges, and a high population density. Those are factors that actually make a difference. Ge
u/Klutzy_Act2033
Bob altmeyers research on authoritarian followers indicates that exposure to other people is a pretty big insulator against authoritarian tendencies.
u/gakash
You take that back. Western New York has more in common with Canada than fucking bum ass Ohio.
u/BlueJayWC
Because white =/= conservative It's correlated sure but not a guarantee. Hispanics in Florida vote Republican and Trump's victory in 2024 was because of his support among non-whites.
u/WippitGuud
Higher education, less religious, supports for progressive and social causes since the Civil War. Also, they're not "so hard" to the left. They're just left compared to the rest of the US.
u/NativeMasshole
Thank you! The thing that gets me the most is that there are plenty of socially conservative undertones up here. The major divide is that we just never bought into Republican talking points,
u/BlueJayWC
Because white =/= conservative It's correlated sure but not a guarantee. Hispanics in Florida vote Republican and Trump's victory in 2024 was because of his support among non-whites.
u/Klutzy_Act2033
Bob altmeyers research on authoritarian followers indicates that exposure to other people is a pretty big insulator against authoritarian tendencies.
u/Th3MiteeyLambo
Yea, as a white liberal I was a little taken aback by the premise of the question.
u/myles_cassidy
Turns out small towns were the real echo chambers
u/SylvaraShade
like yeah they’re white af but also mad educated, more secular, urban, and they care a lot about institutions n civility n all that. it’s not deep red white like deep south energy, it’s brunc
u/juanzy
It’s crazy how living in a city where you aren’t a big fish in a small pond tends to open people up to ideas and humbles you in a good way.
u/gakash
You take that back. Western New York has more in common with Canada than fucking bum ass Ohio.
u/myles_cassidy
Turns out small towns were the real echo chambers
u/thatoneguy54
Which is dumb, cause rural people still depend on water pipes, sewage systems, electricity, phone and internet connections, road systems, highways They're just as dependent on government ser
u/Taira_no_Masakado
Yeah, if you'd ever walked through some parts of Boston and New York, you'd see they're more center than left.
u/magicwithakick
Some of the most close minded people I know didn’t go to college, have never travelled, still live at home, etc. It’s so wildly important to get out and see the world and learn from it and wh
u/JagmeetSingh2
This lol they’re nowhere near hard to the left
u/BarRegular2684
So someone did a study of regional American cultures and it turns out that New England trends to be more collectively oriented than most of the rest of the US. Which makes sense if you look a
u/magicwithakick
Some of the most close minded people I know didn’t go to college, have never travelled, still live at home, etc. It’s so wildly important to get out and see the world and learn from it and wh
u/AmbitiousProblem4746
I agree with this. As a New Englander, I'm obviously biased but I feel like our political alignments are pretty well calibrated to where they should be. Everyone has some level of libertarian
u/ExtraSpicyMayonnaise
Don’t forget the embedded Unitarian Universalists, especially in MA. We have them in CT, too, but to a lesser degree. Some congregations fight very hard for equity and racial justice in their
u/DannySmashUp
It’s an Albany expression.
u/snarktini
This is a reason why there is such a strong Republican narrative against big cities, railing how dangerous and horrible urban areas are and praising rural "real America". Cities aren't just m
u/LynkinPark
You see that by walking through?
u/Lower_Membership_713
oldest universities in the country = a legacy of education being home to the hub of the thirteen colonies means lots of big cities = exposure to different cultures and ideas
u/ThePeasantKingM
Also, it's the cities that lean left. Look for a map of New York, for example. New York City is blue, upstate New York is red, it's just that the vast majority of the people live in the cit
u/TinKnight1
Western & Central NY is way closer culturally to Pennsylvania than Ohio & Indiana. Source: lived in Ohio & Indiana, have done work in Pittsburgh & Allentown, & visited ups
u/KronusIV
I'm not sure why you think skin color should be that big a factor? New England has a lot of good colleges, and a high population density. Those are factors that actually make a difference. Ge
u/ThePeasantKingM
Also, it's the cities that lean left. Look for a map of New York, for example. New York City is blue, upstate New York is red, it's just that the vast majority of the people live in the cit
u/blipsman
More educated, less religious
u/snarktini
This is a reason why there is such a strong Republican narrative against big cities, railing how dangerous and horrible urban areas are and praising rural "real America". Cities aren't just m
u/Independent-Prize498
If you live in a city you know you need government and feel it everyday. If you live on a 1000 acre ranch out west you only get the farm bill every 5 years
u/Blue387
Both political parties used to have left and right wing factions; there used to be conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans. New England, and to a lesser extent New York, had been home
u/Sands43
Also Overton window. NE is what we SHOULD call “normal moderate”. They aren’t left so much as how nutty the Fox News politics of the rest of the rural US is so ridiculously far right.
u/foodisyumyummy
I love this implication that White = Conservative/Right-leaning while Non-White = Liberal/Left-leaning. That is so hilariously simple-minded and dumb.
u/BigPapaJava
I’d say a big part of that is due to religious affiliation and beliefs. For about 50 years, the religious right, which is based in the southern “Bible Belt” states and draws support from the
u/juanzy
It’s crazy how living in a city where you aren’t a big fish in a small pond tends to open people up to ideas and humbles you in a good way.
u/NativeMasshole
Thank you! The thing that gets me the most is that there are plenty of socially conservative undertones up here. The major divide is that we just never bought into Republican talking points,
u/BarRegular2684
So someone did a study of regional American cultures and it turns out that New England trends to be more collectively oriented than most of the rest of the US. Which makes sense if you look a
u/harlemjd
Skin color is a factor because US politicians have spent decades telling white Americans that social welfare programs are “wasting” “their” money on “undeserving” minorities. Maybe New Englan

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