This Is No Longer A Conservative Town

And in this one case that's a good thing, in my humble estimation.

Ten years ago it might have caused a ruckus, the fact that the University of Cincinnati will be extending benefits to same-sex partners. But the old Cincinnati that once went haywire over things like the Mapplethorpe exhibit seems to have greeted this news with barely an eye blink. Where are the protests? Where are the thundering bloggers denouncing the decline in morality signified by the fact that Larry and Jim now receive public dollars for dental cleanings? Isn't this some ultra-conservative city?

The short answer is no. The portion of the Cincinnati population most faithful to across-the-board Red State values has relocated to the exurbs, where they won't be afflicted, one presumes, by fatherless youngsters in baggy clothes, inept city councils, or lesbian professors. Mark Twain's old quip about Cincinnati might be updated for the donut neighborhoods - "if the world ever ends, move to Butler County - they won't know it for twenty years".

Many people see and understand this trend locally - although some far-leftists still thunder away against the local status quo like it's 1982. But it may take years for the national perception of Cincinnati as a racist, homophobic old town to be revised, when the last thing that entered the public consciousness was a race riot back in '02.

But equally important for the purposes of electoral strategy and political prognostication - this is not an ultra-liberal city either. The Queen City did not turn into Portland, Oregon overnight, handing out $15 tickets for weed possession and offering the homeless population vegan dinner options. These types of demographic changes happen at an almost glacial pace, and any attempt to slam things too far to the Left (or Right) in terms of policy will likely be met with resistance. Plenty of people want law and order, a tough national defense, a good economy, low taxes - and much less fuss over social issues - including our everyday, gay friends, family and neighbors.

That - I have a sneaking suspicion - is the center of American politics, but it doesn't fit the template used by the more bombastic fringes.

Tags: Cincinnati, Conservatism, Benefits, UC