Retiring in a politically moderate community

[Newtosavage]

Good luck with your search, with your expectations and preconcieved notions, you may need it.

LOL smh

 

[Newtosavage]

Portland Oregon.

Wife and I enjoyed a week around Portland for our 25th a while back. Key word there is "around." I saw nothing in the city that interested me. Not any more interested in left wing extremists than I am right wing extremists, contrary to the accusations above. But the area sure is nice. Access to the coast or to the deserts of Eastern OR would be handy. As conservative as eastern OR and WA are, and as liberal as the major cities are, surely there is some middle ground in there somewhere? Maybe not though. So much of the country has taken a "with us or again' us" 3rd grade schoolyard approach toward politics these days.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have lived all over, first military then relocating for jobs. My favorite is GJ, CO. People are there for the outdoor activities and other than the influx during early spring, it’s a pretty quiet town.

We live outside of Kansas City now. I thought I would hate the mid-west but ended up really liking it. Close enough to the mountains to make it in a day drive (or a really easy flight to DIA).

Mid-west values are a thing. Work hard, enjoy life. Let others do what they want as long as they don’t shove whatever it is down my throat.

As I type this I am sitting at a great lodge having coffee overlooking a lake, waiting to shoot the state sporting clays championships. Not a bad morning

I've considered that area as well. Enough access to water and trees but open skies too. And like you say, not too many hours drive to the mountains.

Being able to get a resident mule deer or elk tag is pretty high on my list, so that's in the mix.

 

[Newtosavage]

Are you on Facebook by chance? If so, I'd recommend getting off of it ASAP, and then everyone's politics will be way less in your face. I recently started avoiding Facebook and it's the best thing I've done for my sanity in a loooong time. As far as retiring, maybe Boise, Idaho? I have a lot of good friends there who are pretty moderate. I think Boise would be considered a blue city in a red state but it ends up being a nice melting pot. Love it there. It's getting more expensive though. Good luck in your search!

You make a good point, but FB has easy tools to deal with my friends who love to shove their politics in people's faces (funny, they only do it online though...). My Friends list got trimmed quite a bit in the past 2 months and probably will again before the election. Unfollowing people when they are in nasty moods is useful too.

No, I just miss the decorum we enjoyed in So IL. People were pretty genuine, and reasonable. If you found yourself discussing politics, nobody got upset or called anyone names, but that didn't mean they didn't hold to their beliefs.
They just seemed to show more respect for others who held different views. We could go back there too, as we left quite a few good friends behind, but it's a long way from our son in Denver and doesn't really offer the kind of outdoor rec I'm looking for, although the whitetail hunting is the best I've ever had.

 

[Trial153]

Facebook is the bastion of idoicy, I am off it.....

 

[Newtosavage]

Facebook is the bastion of idoicy, I am off it.....

I hear people say that, and it makes me wonder why their friends list looks the way it does tbh.

 

[dpat]

Where in Southern Illinois did you live?

 

[Newtosavage]

Where in Southern Illinois did you live?

Carbondale/Marion area. Pretty nice area to live tbh. 400K ac. of National forest and lots of small fishing lakes. Best deer and turkey hunting I'll probably ever have enjoyed. Very convenient place to live too.

 

[5MilesBack]

We'd love to find a place where, if we did discuss politics, it wouldn't turn into a shouting match.

If you always use logic, then there's no reason to shout. It just is what it is. But you certainly can't control what everyone else does.

 

[Newtosavage]

If you always use logic, then there's no reason to shout. It just is what it is. But you certainly can't control what everyone else does.

Yup. You can't control it, but you can avoid it.

 

[5MilesBack]

Yup. You can't control it, but you can avoid it.

The only way to completely avoid it might be to live alone in a cave, as illogical thinking and actions abound with everything.......not just politics. But that's also WHY it's in politics.

 

[Trial153]

There is a name for people who think everything they do is completely logical and correct, while everyone else is illogical. It's called being Delusional.

 

[dpat]

I grew up 30 minutes East of Marion, still hunt and fish down there a bunch. Live in central Illinois now it sucks for outdoor activities compared to Southern Illinois.

The problem is Illinois is a terrible state to live in, high taxes especially property, terrible politicians and worst of all the State is effectively bankrupt. They held a Bond auction and had zero bidders! 140 Billion in underfunded pensions among other problems.

My wife and I are both lifelong residents and we are looking forward to moving in about 6 years. Already bought a lot and boat slip on Table Rock Lake in Southwest Missouri.

 

[Gearqueer]

Is there anyplace left today that you'd consider retiring to that is politically moderate?

My wife and I are both sick of all the partisan politics, and can't really stand being surrounded by people on either extreme.

Probably the most politically moderate place I've ever lived was southern Illinois, and we'd consider going back, but we'd rather be closer to our son in Colorado.

We're pretty quiet "keep to ourselves" types, and don't feel any desire to fly political flags. That's not to say we don't follow politics, but she and I are both very independent moderates. We'd love to find a place where, if we did discuss politics, it wouldn't turn into a shouting match.

I’m envious of your flexible living situation. Hope to be there some day.

I live in IL, and I think it brings out the worst in people because politically and financially there is real risk of losing a decent piece of what you have in each election cycle.

I’d look at a state/locality that is pretty consistent politically so citizens feel secure and don’t get as fired up. Iowa is one of those states that comes to mind, they seem to be pretty even-keeled.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jjgrow]

IMO, you need to find a state that isn't dominated by a single or several high-population city/cities. And look at state income tax rates.

 

[Titan_Bow]

Wow, I see these threads pop up every few weeks or months, where people use political leaning of others as one of their priorities for deciding on where to move. I guess I am just an introvert at heart, and dont really interact with anyone much besides my wife and family, LOL. I live in a big suburbia neighborhood in CO, and I am sure most on here would say that its a very "liberal" area. My neighbors are from Chicago, Denver, California, etc. and I am pretty sure I am the only person on my street that hunts. But to be honest, my neighbors have always been really nice, and a lot of them are really inquisitive and curious when they find out I hunt. I use the opportunity of living around people with differing views than me, to be an ambassador for hunting, gun ownership, and public land conservation. I'm actually getting a neighbor into hunting this year, helped him with the draw, getting the right equipment and gear, and plan on helping him harvest his first animal this year. I also helped a neighbor get her son into archery, got his first bow and now he's shooting regularly at the local archery range.
Point is, I am in the bastion of yuppy, middle class, liberal suburbia, and politics, especially others politics, is not something I talk about , choose to talk about, or would even want to talk about. Kinda like that old saying about what NOT to talk about at the dinner table. I vote for who and what I feel is the right choice, who and what others vote for is so far down my list of criteria for a place to live, it wouldn't even register. If things change at my state or local area to the point it impacts my way of life, then I'll leave and go somewhere else, but I certainly dont dwell on what others think or put labels on everyone to put them in their tidy little categories. Oh, and I also got off Facebook several years ago, the best thing I ever did!

 

[WhiteOak]

How about you just dont seek out political conversations especially with random people? So much more to life than political leanings. Vote how you vote and live the life you want. Who gives a hoot. What do you do about family that have different views? Can anyone be an individual or do we all have to pick some bs political leaning.

Was this post moderate?

 

[NYyotekiller]

Buffalo Wyoming is at the top of my list.

 

[Gorp2007]

Just move to Colorado and rent some Air BnBs along the I-70 corridor and go East to West until you find a point along that spectrum that you like.

 

[spike camp]

There is a name for people who think everything they do is completely logical and correct, while everyone else is illogical. It's called being Delusional.

Don’t forget narcissistic, too.