Template talk:Bible Belt

Can someone make the state names align in the middle or top vertically? human  18:48, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Or make the blue title bar extend all the way across the top, with the image to the left and links to the right? human  18:55, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Thanks, I tried colspan but probably bungled the syntax. It's sweet now.  In a relatively useless sort of way. human  19:13, 27 November 2007 (EST)

Wait...why isn't Ohio in there? It at least considers itself to be in the Bible Belt. Researcher 18:58, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Who knows? I suppose we could go by the map our new editor uploaded to go with it? human  19:13, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * I don't think Ohio's generally a "bible Belt" state. Up until the last couple years it was solid red, yes, but not "Bible Belt" red, if that makes sense. Recently however, it's been more of a purpleyblue. I'm sure some Ohioans claim to be in the Bible Belt (and these same Ohioans probably aren't offended by the moniker) but I'm not sure of the prevalence. Lurker 19:51, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Actually, it was usually from Ohioans who were very sad to be in such a religious state. Seriously, the conservatism of Ohio (particularly Southern Ohio, south of Columbus) verges on the crazy.  I'm from KY, and the debates they had in Ohio (and the news from southern OH) reminded me a lot of home.  (Now, with that being said, I often thought they were exaggerating as well, and recent elections suggest that may be the case.  But, hell, even KY went for Clinton, so maybe elections aren't the best way to judge.) Researcher 20:27, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * That makes sense too. Cincinnati is one of the few cities which is actually conservative. Typically metropolitan areas (if you can call Cincinnati that anymore...) tend to be very very blue. This might be where some of that sentiment comes from. Maybe I'm biased coming from a "liberal" denomination, but where I live I really don't see the religious influence.
 * On second thought, most of our city council goes to the same church. To be completely fair I can see how a particularly non-religious person would feel choked with religion, even though I personally don't believe that anyone is really as fundamentalist as some of the more southern, lesser states, like Kentucky. You are, after all, below us. ;^) Lurker 23:20, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Also, when I lived in Ohio, I lived in Cleveland and often went to Columbus, both of which seemed to want to saw the parts south of Columbus off. (One acquaintance of mine liked to claim that "everything south of 480 is Penn-tucky.")  So, I was probably with a biased group to begin with.  That being said, there is something to the idea that the Bible Belt runs up into rural/Southern Ohio and Pennsylvania.  (I mean, come on, Santorum's from PA.) Researcher 23:26, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Mike Malloy says he broadcasts from the "buckle of the bible belt" (Atlanta). Anyway, if this template is going to survive ("mission" comes to mind), we at least need an article on the bible belt.  Anyone like it's worth starting? human  20:43, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * I added one, but feel free to delete the whole thing if you like. Researcher 21:05, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Nice :) You pulled that right out of your ass, didn't you? BTW, Malloy is a manic liberal talk radio host.  I have no problem as long as we can integrate this thing into our "style", which a decent feature article would pretty much do.  Considering that most of the state articles are pure unadulterated snark, it helps tie them to our "mission", also! human  21:13, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Completely and totally straight from the posterior. We're busy at work, so nothing major from me today. Researcher 21:20, 27 November 2007 (EST)

Also, the bible belt is not necessarily a predictable political view (although it has seemed so recently). It's just the part of the country where the ole timey preachin' thumpers held sway, where a fairly closely-read fundamentalism has succeeded and held sway, etc. So it often includes part of a state but not all. cf., most of the Florida peninsula is not really in it, due to the history of the settlements there. human  20:46, 27 November 2007 (EST)
 * Totally agreed on this. And many metropolitan areas (such as my own) might be skipped, even when the areas around it are strongly Bible Belt.  Researcher 23:28, 27 November 2007 (EST)