Funny, I’ve heard people say that about Texas. Often. I’ve even told people they shouldn’t.
Or maybe this is that witty, drawing-room humor I’ve heard about. Ha! Ha! Good one.
15 Likes
Pennsylvania Democrats had better have a well constructed multi-pronged strategy to destroy this … legally carpet bomb this into oblivion with injunctions, lawsuits whatever …
Public relations / messaging …
this heinous destruction of “objective and impartial defining of districts” and attempting to configure districts in a one sided manner is essentially theft …
6 Likes
And it’s been pretty fractious for centuries. You had Shay’s Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion where there was actual fighting. I have to admit, if you live in the eastern part of Pennsylvania and don’t have any connection to the rest of it, it’s kind of a forgotten land, semi-mythical. It’s not so much we look down on them. Honestly most of us don’t think about them at all. 
17 Likes
Having driven across both states, they’re very different, but both beautiful. But I’d say Texans are friendlier, especially in the western and more rural parts. That whole 2 finger greeting when you pass on the road.
3 Likes
Neither rebellion was very violent, having been put down before things got out of hand. And, arguably, both were justified, Shay’s because war vets were being screwed out of earned back pay, and the Whiskey because tariffs were unfair to grain farmers and favored rich landowners like Washington. Popular uprisings haven’t always been batshit here.
2 Likes
Many regions are friendlier to strangers than Pennsylvanians. Even in the east, never mind the mountains and south-central farmlands, people aren’t very outgoing. Socially, of course, they’re like anyone anywhere. But in a convenience store, say, few people will bother to make conversation with you and will be startled and uncommunicative if you try to with them. I really have no idea why this is, but I’ve noticed the difference in my travels.
11 Likes
We just had a whole week that all three mountain passes to Eastern Washington were closed. Not many Washingtonians noticed or even cared.
8 Likes
It’s a form of suicide. They can’t survive without the cities and yet they want to destroy the cities out of petty spite and jealousy. Can’t say I’ll miss them.
13 Likes
And it works both ways. I’ve met people around here who’ve never once been to Philadelphia, 30 miles away. Never once. For a curious race, prone to wander around and check things out, people can be awfully sedentary and incurious. Weird.
11 Likes
Philadelphia has “issues”… has needed therapy for a long long time. You see, “Philly” is crazed with anger & envy … that it is not New York .
Now, Boston is happy being Boston … and will tell you that it is delighted it is NOT New York … and Baltimore, while not quite as haughty about it, sort of feels the same - and sees no reason to want be “the Big Apple”
But Philly … oh scratch the surface & there it is … pure “Pissed-off Philly”… “we should be the straw that stirs the drink” “Damn it … Independence Hall is HERE!” … We should be number one!" The spotlight should be on us!
3 Likes
No wonder they responded to Trump, then, a guy who prosecutes his resentments far past the point where it starts to work against his own best interests.
13 Likes
Excuse me? PA has two great cities, Philly and Pittsburgh, a Democratic governor, senior Senator, AG, Supreme Court and 8 Congress members. It has top universities and is the birthplace of our Constitution.
Unfortunately, the lopsided rural advantage that conservatives hold nationally is replicated here in PA where the rural counties have had a stranglehold over the legislature for years. There are many “worse” places. PA generally ranks right in the middle of any list.
8 Likes
Wow, Putin must be taking lessons from the GQP…
11 Likes
It’s because city = not white while rural = white. In New York, it’s New York City that gets the resentment. If it weren’t for NYC, Buffalo and Syracuse and Rochester would get the resentment. But the Big Apple steals the limelight, no matter that the percentage of black voters here is actually lower than in the upstate cities.
5 Likes
I think the GQP takes its lessons from Putin. Wait, got that wrong, Stalin. “It’s not who votes: it’s who counts the votes.”
ETA. Or was that Mark Twain?
5 Likes
Shithole state. I don’t know how anybody could ever live there. Pennsylvanians deserve everything they get because they keep electing Republicans to the statehouse. Bunch of cousin-diddling rednecks with no redeeming qualities, blowing coal in their big dumb Hot Wheels pickups. And no worthwhile barbecue either.
5 Likes
Philadelphia also has a “two-finger” greeting!
… but it requires two hands to do it!
7 Likes
I’m not sure the Russian ex-military biker gangs know their history. A group of operatives positioned (with or without prepositions) to conduct a false-flag operation rarely survives. Typically they don’t even get the family honor of their descendants reading of their heroism in the history books.
5 Likes
Except for the bbq comment, substitute oil for coal and you got TX.
4 Likes