How left-wing is the west?
The coast, OK, but what about Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Arizona?
Do Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico vote Democratic in recent times because of ideology or because of the large hispanic population?
The coast votes Democratic like the Northeast only since 2008. In 2004, Kerry's margin in California was only 10. Oregon was a battleground state.
conservatives people west of the Mississippi River are different than
conservatives people east of it. I'd rather not use the word "libertarian" because of the baggage ignorant people have attached to it, but there might not be a better word. The mountain west and plains states are more libertarian than those east of the Mississippi.
