"It is a beacon of progressive hope in an otherwise bass-ackwards state." If you thought about it, wouldn't you say the same thing about Portland or NYC?
Not exactly. Oregon has rednecks as does upstate NY (I used to live there as well). The delta is the level of racism, bigotry and religious fundamentalism that plagues the state is significantly higher in Texas than other states. Hicks and bigots exist everywhere, but from my experience, Texas as a whole has more per capita than "coastal" states like Cali, Oregon or New York.