Despite having grown up in a light blue state, the difference in politics was very noticeable when I got to SF/SV. This isn’t a value judgement, just my observation.
In reality, every country has their own set of issues. Every democracy has their set of parties that exist somewhere in the policy space of issues relevant to them. In the US, we generally think of socially progressive policies as "left" along with non-market views of the economy. As such, the SFBA is generally much closer to the American "left" edge than the right.
I agree that South Bay and the Peninsula are less "left" than SF or Oakland, but I think this sort of argument is sophistry. That said, I don't really think moving hiring to Texas will change anything ideologically among employees and instead is just a way to signal to the new administration that they're Friends (TM) and on the backside a way to cost cut so they can pay less in Austin.
I aim to discuss this topic factually while noting that views vary significantly among San Francisco residents. Some common political positions that would generally be considered far-left in the U.S. context include support for:
- Housing as a human right and strict rent control policies
- Universal basic income and significantly higher taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations
- Complete defunding or abolition of police departments
- Immediate and dramatic action on climate change, including bans on private vehicles