Lincoln is both "liberal" by Nebraska standards and rather conservative and staid by college town standards. By most normal measures, inasmuch as there are such things, the capital is very much a Peoria; slightly Democratic leaning at about the same rate as the nation at large; with ratios of rich-to-poor; white-to-minority etc. also lining up pretty cleanly with the national mean.
This story is not about Lincoln politics per se, it's about the slightly less doomed than usual Dem candidate for governor choosing a Lincoln area pol for his running mate. Still the chair of the state GOP felt the need to say that this running mate, Jane Raybould, represented the 'liberal ideals of Lincoln." (The Republican chair is himself a Lincolnite; unless he's a south of Hwy 2 man, in which case not really, as I'm sure we'd both agree.)
I am well and truly heartened by this language. It falls well short of the outright hatred expressed towards coastal cities or President Obama's Chicago; still one can be assured that her city is "making it" as a good place to live if it is being otherized by rural/suburban right wing conformists. It's a sign of Lincoln and Omaha gradually becoming fairly substantial Democratic strongholds, real threats to a Republican reign over Nebraska that GOP officials; from the governor on down, will tell you in plain sincerity they consider to be a moral entitlement. When "People's Republic of Lincoln" becomes a common truck stop dig; and the day is coming soon when it will be, that's when we'll know for sure that our city has upped its game from a nice peaceful and serene place to live to an downright badass to live. The Onion A.V. Club shall be coming to test our pizzas any day now.
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