Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

From a comment thread at Slate (where I don't see an obvious way to link directly to a specific comment):

"I've always wondered how the Red welfare states (i.e. rural states) maintain their libertarian, Republican outlook while sucking up so much taxpayer largess." -- snarkycomments, 2010-08-17

"The same way the Blue mercantilist states (i.e. urban states) maintain their liberal, Democrat outlook while sucking up so much of the provinces' resources.

"For the most part, they don't maintain these outlooks. Most people see policy problems as a set of conflicting forces and have conflicted politics to reflect that. For example, North Dakota votes red in presidential elections, has an overwhelmingly Republican state legislature, but sends Dems to US congress. North Dakotans tend to be deeply suspicious of big spending but don't seek to undermine the socialist state institutions of their state bank and elevator that are a legacy of the progressive era. There is a constant and sincere debate in North Dakota about whether farm subsidies are a good thing for our nation even while many farmers receive its benefits.

"And so on, and so on, and so on....Truth is, the polarizing Red/Blue labels don't describe the politics of balancing Rural/Urban interests or conflicting views of government. Libertarian suspicions of government don't deny government a role in our lives. Liberal inclinations to meet social needs through government don't try to overwhelm individual liberty. For most people, its the tug and pull between these forces that define our politics."

-- SCD, 2010-08-17