[jonesetc]

Sorry, that was mostly a joke.

I have never lived in any of the other major cities in Texas, so I certainly don't understand the full dynamics of their politics. I do understand that at the heart of the major cities they tend to be more liberal, which is expected of just about any major city. However, as an Austinite I can say it feels like the liberal bleeds more into the suburbs here than in the other major cities. This may be because of Austin's relatively small size or just bad anecdotal evidence. Take that as you will and I hope I didn't rustle too many jimmies.

[cobrausn]

I think that's mostly due to Austin's small size and exclusivity, but it's also a lot of 'image' that Austinites like to reinforce. I also find it entertaining that the self-described most 'progressive' city in Texas is actually the least diverse major city in Texas, with ~70% white population. Don't worry too much about the regional politics of Texas, especially if you don't live here - it's often quite maddening. :-D