I was born in the Midwest and I've lived in a few different places around the country, mostly variations on the south. But I'm also a progressive that has lived amongst redhats a lot. I think one of the most disarming things to say to them is some polite version of "mind your own business."

Pretty much everyone will agree they don't want the government butting into their personal lives and framing things in that way is a good way to find common ground.