The West Coast (especially SF!) is not america. ;) You won't find the raving Bushites there.

If you want to get depressed about the state of the US, go visit the South, where the Republican Dream (or Nightmare) is in full swing. Still, even there you can be pleasantly surprised: the people can have the most awful political views, but they can also be nice in ways that Northerners (much less Britons) never expect.