A 'Blue' Life In the City By the Bay

[kskiska]

Tuesday, April 27, 2004; Page A01

Last of three articles

SAN FRANCISCO -- This is the home of the Harrison family, who describe Bill Clinton as "intelligent," "charismatic" and "a good representation of America," and George W. Bush as "frightening," "a total imbecile" and "monkey boy."

A family of four, the Harrisons live in a house decorated with crucifixes in the bedrooms and a hot-pink feather boa in the foyer. Tom Harrison, 62, is a union official. Maryanne Harrison, 60, runs an after-school program. Heather Harrison, 29, is a teacher. Matthew Harrison, 28, is an electrician. They are fourth- and fifth-generation San Franciscans whose home was built for the family in 1917. Their neighborhood is filled with restaurants that are cafes, and stores that are boutiques, and their neighbors include straight people, gay people, rich people, homeless people, married people, single people, and the House minority leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D), who says of this place: "I think it is more American than most places in the country."

Pollsters and political consultants call it Blue America, shorthand for the roughly half of the U.S. population that tends toward liberal values, the Democratic Party and what one consultant calls "morality writ small." It is where abortion is ultimately seen as a personal choice, faith is more often an individual expression than a collective one, and marriage is less a union of two genders than of two people, which is one of the reasons San Francisco is considered the bluest place of all.

Twenty-seven weeks from today, those values will be at the center of a presidential election in which, for many voters, the political choice of Bush vs. Sen. John F. Kerry is a surrogate for a broader referendum. "On lifestyle issues -- marriage, church, sexuality, gay rights, guns. And cultural preferences," says John Kenneth White, a professor of politics at Catholic University. "And the war, too, in the sense that on things like the Patriot Act, how important is security? Another issue is the Ten Commandments."

Is the United States to be guided by the rigid morality of the Ten Commandments, or by something more elastic? By the desire for national security or civil liberties? By the feeling that leaders are authoritative or authoritarian? What is the proper definition of marriage? Of family? Of the true American life?

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44724-2004Apr26.html

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. HAHAH...Monkey Boy!

That's pretty much my house as well!

[shanti]

4. another name for the chimp

:evilgrin: i love *the city*, it's so unique, as are the people...

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. Proud resident of "Blue" San Francisco!

We rock! :)

[Taylor Mason Powell]

3. A kick for SF!!

(and don't call it "San Fran" or "Frisco," thank you very much!)

I moved here five years ago and it's everything you could possibly want a city to be. I really do think that living here is the one thing that has prevented me from going insane during the Bush* Nightmare. Seriously! It's mostly liberals here. I don't know anybody who has a good thing to say about Monkeyboy.

And an added advantage - I never have to go far to join a big-ass protest march!

[ngGale]

5. Sounds like Blue Heaven to me...

[Hand]

9. "San Fran"... UGH UGH UGH...

Not the city--I love the place, my mom was from Hayward--but that term. Feh. The last time I heard it used was by the ignorant Newfie nerd who runs my department--"I'll be in San Fran at the blitherblather conference all next week, aren't I important!" His idea of hip. :puke:

DISCLAIMER: Nothing against Newfies here, either. This guy ditched the rock and moved to Halifax, NS, anyway, which pretty much disenfranchised him from his Newfitude, anyway.

:hi:

[pfitz59]

6. Seattle-Portland-Vancouver-SF

Pick your well-educated, content, polite, self-conscious liberal city right here. Not just the Left Coast, the Noth-Left coast is the place to live. Especially today with high 70's, low 80's crystal clear skies, snow-capped mountains and flowers everywhere! Today was a great day to be alive in SEATTLE!

[dusty64]

7. If I could afford it

I'd be moving there tomorrow.

[saigon68]

8. George W. Bush as "frightening," "a total imbecile" and "monkey boy."

Works for me TOO !!!!

[Hand]

10. The antidote...

To "A man, a MAN'S man, a MANLY MAN"... :puke: as they say in Sugar Land (where the hell did that idiotic name come from, anyway?)

Besides, Chimpy's nothing but a prep-school pussy, so stop saying that!

[ctex]

11. Sugarland, TX is named for a nearby sugar mill and cane fields

A lot of sugar cane used to be grown along the Texas Gulf Coast. Fort Bend County, where Sugarland is located, was in the center of this area and Imperial Sugar had a large mill that operated there until just a few years ago.

In my opinion its name makes about as much sense as naming a city after a Catholic Saint (well actually after the Mission San Francisco de Asís, aka Mission Dolores).