They like you just fine. You're not like "them". You're not like the racist, bigoted, regressive, backwards, ignorant, inbreds of people who still live in the South.

Most people out here can comprehend the concept that there are people in our country who conservative, religious, and smart. They'd shit themselves if they met someone who was conservative and smarter than they were. (This is where you insert a joke about if they're so smart then why are they conservative! hardy har har.)