I have a friend ...

[Onlooker]

... who's straight, boyish looking but in his early thirties, loves NASCAR, country music, manual labor, guns, and fantasizes about a rural life in a safe liberal community where there were others who share his interests. Does such a place exist?

[nolabear]

1. Tell him to try a college town in the South, like Durham, NC.

I lived there years back and it does indeed have both, maybe not in the same folks but there are nice ones, believe it or not, on both sides of the fence. I knew some very sweet rural folk there and there's a good cultural life and liberal community too.

[Brickbat]

2. Northeastern Minnesota. Sorry, though -- I'm already married.

[Rabblevox]

3. Eugene, Oregon

It is the oddest mix of hippies, punx, farmers, college kids, loggers, NASCAR fans, PETA people, etc that I've ever seen, and somehow they all manage to co-exist peacefully.

Unfortunately there are no jobs and housing prices are insane.

[rug]

4. Ithaca, New York

http://ecovillageithaca.org/evi/

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. Big Bear Lake n/t

[femmocrat]

6. Western PA. There are still a few liberals here!

There are many descendants of union members here who would share his interests.

[Onlooker]

7. Thanks, these are great suggestions ....

.... I'll see him this week, and am looking forward to passing on your suggestions.