I would say Blount Co., but you already knew that and decided to move here anyway! Heh.

But seriously, welcome to TN. We should all get together and have a brewsky or something to welcome Elrod and thank him for helping make the state a little more blue, one drop at at a time.

I'd say the most conservative area of Tennessee is the region roughly following I-81 from Knoxville to Bristol. It's not really a place per se, but more like a corridor. The farther northeast you go in this state, the more reactionary it seems to become. I could be wrong, but that's always been my perception.

Bristol, Kingsport, Greeneville, et al. are just about as Baptist as they get. Considering its relative size, Johnson City does have a pretty sizeable gay population (for some reason which I've never fully understood), and Morristown has its occasional moments. However, those cities along the drive to the Virginia border are redder than red.

--Socialist With A Gold Card

Elrod, if you're going to move down here among us, you're going to have to learn proper English. "You all" is correctly spelled and pronounced "y'all." ;-)

--Socialist With A Gold Card

... a double positive, but "y'all" is plural, and it's a Middle and West Tennessee form. "You'ns" is the East Tennessee second person plural pronoun. Only Yankees (that is, non-Southerners) mistake either for a singular.

Me, I've got dual citizenship.

Liberty and justice for all.

I think Carter County should get a vote for most conservative. I love the place and the people, but they did vote 88% in favor of the anti-gay "marriage amendment." Hey, there is a market here for the 12%!

All yall ain't got nothing better to worry about than how real Americans talk?

And Socialist...it ain't hyphenated. Hyphens were brought in a carpet bag sometime after the War of Northern Agression.

I second Dayton. Down the street from me and it's a fascinating place. Deeply weird, but fascinating.

All I know is that when I voted in Sevier County last November the U.S. House seat was open and the Republican on the ballot was unopposed. I wrote in my own name for the seat so at least I can tell my grandchildren (and children if I ever have any) I got at least one vote for Congress.

I have a recording of an interview with that famous Southern historian discussing his friendship with Walker Percy. It was broadcast on CSPAN several years ago and I have transferred it from my original 8mm tape to DVD.

He spoke of the mechanics of writing his epic Civil War trilogy and told of a time when he wrote to Percy telling him about a visitor who had interrupted him as he was "killing off" Abraham Lincoln.

The man was a joy to listen to and, I'm sure, a joy to meet.

The Hill Online

Just FYI, Cleveland I believe is worldwide headquarters of two Pentecostal religions, depending on whether you like your Church God with or without a side of prophecy.

William Jennings Bryan, btw, is still something of a local hero just down the road in Dayton, home of Bryan College:

(link...)

Reminds me of a John Bean story.

He was eating lunch with some friends at the Captain D's in Fountain City. They got up to leave and as he was walking out the door he smiled his big old killer smile (he was a handsome devil), cleared his throat to get the attention of the room and said "Fuck yu'uns each and ever' one." and walked out. It was dangerous to go anywhere with him.

When they got to the car, he realized he'd left his briefcase in the restaurant.

He tried to get one of his pals to go get it, but they refused, and stood around the parking lot laughing their butts off when he had to go back for it.

His pranks didn't often backfire on him, and everybody always treasured the rare moments when he embarrassed himself. Course he probably sweet-talked the manager and left with a pocketfull of coupons --

I guess it was the yu'uns usage that reminded me. Anyhow, that's just the way John rolled -- mad, bad and dangerous to know.

Probably ought to give a nod to Rhea County too. Historically it deserves at least an honorable mention for the Tennessee area displaying the less admirable attributes of conservatism. (although it could probably be better charactarized as ignorant, well-intended bumfuckedness)

Two words: June Griffin

The fact that that crazy old bat lives in Dayton alone qualifies that town as the state's #1 Loony Bin, even without the historical boost of the Scopes trial (which admittedly is substantial).

June is a piece of work. She's been up here to enlighten out county commission a time or two, and she's crazy as a rat in a coffee can.

(link...)
(link...)

What was June doing here on Earth Day?

there's GOT to be a great story attached to that one.

TELLTELLTELL!

Well, I posted this question late last night, went out for a good-bye-to-Michigan party today and found that a lot of folks chimed with some good'uns. I'm extremely excited to make Blount County one vote bluer than before (actually two because my wife is solidly liberal and Democratic too). My folks may be moving down in a year or so from northern Virginia and that'll make two more blue votes. Anyway, I'd love to meet up with all y'all.

Anyway, interesting to see that Dayton is still as reactionary as ever. Didn't some nimrod in Rhea County try to ban gay people from coming into the county or something? I thought somebody would say Brentwood or Collierville or some other rich suburb of Nashville or Memphis. But yeah, Dayton is the real deal.

BTW, I wonder what June Griffin thinks of rebel flags flying on Maryville High School football game days :) If she's legit, she thinks "Treason!" Otherwise, she's a fraud.

P.S. On the term "you'uns": it's actually a common expression in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania of all places. And it is plural.

A very interesting question. Rather than ramble on and on here in the comments, I did my own post to respond. Read at your own risk .... hint: my answer is the entire 1st District ...

In East Tennessee, y'all is city and you'uns is country for the most part.

I noticed the website for the Dayton, Tennessee Strawberry Festival "offers a chance for our community to showcase its beauty, history and commitment to family values." Now let's think about this for a second. How the hell does a strawberry festival showcase a "commitment to family values?" Can the term "family values" have any meaning in this context? Is this code for "Gay strawberry lovers not welcome!" Is the term "family values" just a politically correct (for the Right) throwaway line in order to encourage the overly churched to come out for such a secular purpose as celebrating the strawberry? What is the point of mentionting it?

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Hate is not a family value.

The Hill Online

Whose are we talking about? Theirs or your?

Dear All Y'all,

I'm a liberal from the People's Republic of Santa Monica. I'm also a documentary film maker. Anyway, I thought some of you could help with a movie project I'm starting. Here's the idea. I'm part of a very liberal baseball (not softball) team here in Santa Monica, a bunch of old guys, post 45 years and older, that will be taking to the road soon to play conservative teams in some of the most Republican districts across the country. We're filming the games as we go, getting at the blue red divide via America's game. We don't dare beat anyone, that would be humiliating the "other." And out here in the People's Republic, we're so liberal we even recycle our guilt. I'm trying to find a town that would field a baseball team to play us and would be willing to be filmed, interviewed, etc. It's just a way to get at the divisions in our country in a fun way, before the politicians start getting nasty and screw up another election year. Any chance that we could find a baseball/softball team that might cooperate? What towns would you suggest I contact? Remember, must be conservative. I love some of your suggestions already.

Thanks a bunch for your help.

kerry candaele
venice, ca
kc@kerrycandaele.com
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And you came to this blog to find a conservative baseball team because.....?

I guess you could find 9 conservatives here if you scratched around in all the corners. But why would you think they all played baseball?

Like Taldipali said, there are lots of amateur baseball teams. But would all 9 members consider themselves conservative?

We may be a little more integrated than you think.

___________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Should we hate conservatives? Born again Christians? Pro-lifers? I say we should not hate anyone but, dissagreement is not hate.

Williamson Co. It makes the list of the top 20 conservative counties in the country