An island of conservatism in a sea of facsism

Our move to Tucson has really been eye opening. Being from San Francisco and moving anywhere else is very different and can be difficult. In San Francisco if you are a Democrat you are on the conservative side, so many people are left of the Democrats, and I think that is good. When I engaged someone in a political conversation, I found it always on the liberal side. If you were to talk about the Right, it was just to criticize the "Idiots". You never really knew any except in the media, all of the media, (the liberal press is a lie, or ignored by so many in America anyway). So here we are new in Tucson at a gay bar and the conversation turns to politics, this guy breaks out in a giggle; "I just love that barbara bush". "Really"? Don't you think she is part of the evil forces behind her son? "No she's so sweet, grandmother like to the country". Her grand daughters call her the enforcer we tell him. Then all hell breaks out. Some one says, ohhhh, you guys are some of them commies. With this Rusty decides to leave it there, but it is too late for me, and I am baffled. "You guys are gay and you're republican? Isn't that like being a jewish nazi"? They have no idea of what I just said, and I realize there is no talking to them as they recite rush limbaugh. O.K. I see. They do not know who Amy Goodman is, or Greg Palest, Bill Moyer? so they seem to be only getting one side, the ignorant side in my opinion. And are happy with that. I decide to ask, don't you believe in gay marriage? The reply is "the country is not ready for that". "How about free blacks? or women voting"? again they have no clue. Another guy makes the claim that killing Iraqis is like killing Germans in WWII. I bit my tongue, but should have said; we are the Germans in this.
Where are we? I thought Tucson was liberal for Arizona? What have we done moving here?
Later this guy comes up, introduces himself to us, and says that he agreed with what we were saying but not to bring it up around here. He didn't want to get involved, there are just too many of them.
We have since met many like minded people here. Tucson does have some Liberals. We now know to feel out a situation first. Like being underground, careful, you never know who might be listening. Scary, this is like Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan in the 1930's (look there coalition was bigger then ours is now). Lately we have met some really nice guys new to Tucson, (neighbors of ours), that are progressive liberals also. They had a similar experience as ours, although they weren't as mortified as I was. They must have met this mindset before, where they came from.
Although we do love it here, it is incredibly beautiful, be sure you know what you are doing when you jump in untested waters.