Is Flagstaff as crazy as the rest of Arizona?

I don’t really know for sure, but my sense is that it is more progressive precisely because it is a college town. It probably has that same rugged individualist perspective of the rest of Arizona, though. Probably just as many guns, because there are, after all, still rattlesnakes everywhere. But it gets colder up there in the winter, and coldness, for some reason, seems to be correlated with more socialistic tendencies. Maybe because you have to huddle together in winter more.

And damn! Oak creek canyon holds one of the most beautiful little creeks on the planet! I’ve only driven it once, but I will never forget it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona's_1st_congressional_district

“This large congressional district covers the mainly rural areas of northern and eastern Arizona. Republicans have a base in Prescott and Yavapai County, while Democrats perform well in Flagstaff, Sedona, and the Navajo Nation among Native Americans. Elections are usually decided by conservative “Pinto Democrats” throughout the rural areas.”

Flagstaff is lovely. I have fond memories of sliding down the creek at Slide Rock as a child. I also had my first big snow experience there. Such a beautiful place, I wouldn’t let politics get in the way if I had a choice to move there. but that’s just me :)

I just live where the Bible belt snaps and stings at the end now, and I want to live in a more progressive community for retirement.

@Judi: Perhaps you should do some research about the resources in the Flagstaff area that would mesh with your interests and POV. Churches, recreation, volunteer opportunities, the slant of the daily newspaper’s editorial and op-ed pages.

There is terrific birding if that is something you like.

Oak creek canyon is beautiful as is much of the surrounding areas, but it might be a place to visit and not live in.

My daughter loves Sedona, south of Flagstaff, but she goes for the hiking and mountain biking.

@gailcalled,
Thats what I’m doing, but I was hoping that some jellies might have a first hand perspective that I could draw on as well.

Move to San Francisco instead, it’s about as far left as you can get.

Less crazy, but still pretty conservative. Most progressives states/areas tend to be on the coasts, and are thus far more expensive. However, if you’re living anywhere else, a college town is going to be much more diverse, so Flagstaff is by default one of the more “progressive” areas in Arizona.