Your own opinion of the states with maps

[Mr. Illini]

90% Green: Top Tier
50% Green: Solid Pro
30% Green: Lean Pro
30% Red: Lean Con
50% Red: Solid Con
90% Red: Bottom Tier

The top tier is the Great Lakes and New England. Generally like Pacific NW, Rockies, and Mid-Atlantic. Generally dislike Desert SW and Great Plaines. Bottom tier is the south.

[Mr. Illini]

I view all the states positively, though I would feel out of place politically in some of the very conservative states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi, and West Virginia and also in some of the very liberal states like Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Hawaii, Washington, and California. It's not that I have anything against the people in those states and admire their positive contributions to our country, it's just that I would stand out politically in them.

Though I like him as a poster, Mr. Illini overpaints Illinois' liberalism.  Illinois is extremely (and statically) loyal to the Democratic Party because of an EXTREMELY high floor in the very diverse city of Chicago.  Sure, there are wealthy and White areas in Chicago and its suburbs that are very progressive, but the brunt of the high floor comes from loyal union, minority and other inner-city Democrats.  Assuming you do not live in the city of Chicago (about 3 million people do, leaving about 10 million Illinoisans who don't), then your political experience will be a lot more *divided*.

I realize I am coming in way late here, but I feel the need to respond seeing as though I was called out.

I really get frustrated when people claim "my state is not liberal/conservative, it is only that way because of X area." Well that's great, but if X area is enough to push your state that way, then X area must be pretty sizable.

"Illinois is not a liberal state. It is only that way because of Chicago." Your experience will indeed be different if you don't live in Chicago, but Chicago and the largely blue inner suburban ring represents a huge chunk of the population.

That means that California ("I live in Madera. CA is only blue because of the cities. If you live inland your experience will be mixed.") and New York ("I live in Auburn. NYS is only blue because of NYC. If you live upstate your experience will be mixed.") can't be portrayed as liberal states because they are not liberal throughout? Even though percentage-wise the population is left-of-center.

If you go by the idea that a state is not liberal because it is not liberal throughout, then I suppose our only liberal states are Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut (and even in those there are areas that are more conservative).

I hear this stuff from my downstate friends often, so I felt the need to address it. No state is entirely one way or the other, but when we're looking at how the majority of each state's population goes, Illinois is solidly in the liberal column.

[Mr. Illini]

I view all the states positively, though I would feel out of place politically in some of the very conservative states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi, and West Virginia and also in some of the very liberal states like Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Hawaii, Washington, and California. It's not that I have anything against the people in those states and admire their positive contributions to our country, it's just that I would stand out politically in them.

Though I like him as a poster, Mr. Illini overpaints Illinois' liberalism.  Illinois is extremely (and statically) loyal to the Democratic Party because of an EXTREMELY high floor in the very diverse city of Chicago.  Sure, there are wealthy and White areas in Chicago and its suburbs that are very progressive, but the brunt of the high floor comes from loyal union, minority and other inner-city Democrats.  Assuming you do not live in the city of Chicago (about 3 million people do, leaving about 10 million Illinoisans who don't), then your political experience will be a lot more *divided*.

Illinois isn't that loyal to Democrats; otherwise they wouldn't have elected Bruce Rauner and Mark Kirk.  It may be a blue state in presidential elections, but it's still pretty close in statewide contests.

Yep, the only states that can be considered loyal to Dems are those that elect Dems literally 100% of the time