Northeast Pride and things you love about the culture (buy, living in)
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A lot of rural areas, like in New Jersey and New England still voted for Kerry.
While we're at this, its very unfair that due to a few powerful minorities in the major cities, the ordinary people of states like Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania don't really have a voice. People in DC, Baltimore, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Newark vote into office people whose values are completely opposed with people in the rest of the states.
A lot of rural areas, like in New Jersey and New England still voted for Kerry.
While we're at this, its very unfair that due to a few powerful minorities in the major cities, the ordinary people of states like Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania don't really have a voice. People in DC, Baltimore, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Newark vote into office people whose values are completely opposed with people in the rest of the states.
That is pure silliness. Powerful minorities? In the states you mentioned, the majority of people live in urban areas. If by "ordinary people" you mean people in rural areas (as if urban people somehow can't be "ordinary"), of course they have a voice. They have the same right to vote as anyone else who qualifies. It's just that, as a minority, their voice is smaller. There's nothing unfair about it, that's how representative government works. It represents "the people." If "the people" are more urban or more rural or more Christian or more of a certain ethnic group, that is reflected in who votes and who gets elected to represent them. I would also dispute that the values of people in those cities you mentioned and "the rest of the states" are opposed. They may be different in certain ways, generally speaking, but not opposite.
A lot of rural areas, like in New Jersey and New England still voted for Kerry.
While we're at this, its very unfair that due to a few powerful minorities in the major cities, the ordinary people of states like Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania don't really have a voice. People in DC, Baltimore, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Newark vote into office people whose values are completely opposed with people in the rest of the states.
Oh, please. That is completely untrue. Just because people might be concentrated in an urban area, that doesn't mean they aren't "ordinary," nor does the concentration of people in these areas somehow "alienate" the residents in the rural areas. Are there differences in political views? Of course, but I completely resent the notion that more liberal urban-dwellers are somehow "misrepresenting" overall states because there's also a large rural contingent. They're ALL equally residents.
Also, you're completely wrong about Pennsylvania. For example, the rural gun lobby in the state legislature gets MORE say than the cities. In a current case, PA state legislators voted against a law that would allow Philadelphia to pass it's own city-wide gun ordinances, which I believe is completely wrong, as gun laws in cities vs. rural municipalities should hardly be the same.
I don't mean to get off topic, but I just wanted to provide another perspective.
From reading Terrapin2212's posts, it seems that he (she) has fallen for the myth of some sort of southernesque rural "Real America" that does not exist. As a long time city dweller with a lot of northeastern roots (despite being a Midwesterner), I resent the notion that I am lessor for it, or my opinions do not matter. Us 'liberal urban-dwellers' are equal citizens in this country and have just as much right to our beliefs, opinions, and say in the political process, as 'conservative rural dwellers'. And I am just as much of an 'ordinary person' as the next joe, just because I ride the subway to work and generally prefer the phrase 'you guys' to 'y'all' does not change that. We are all in this together.
... and least I remind you, the voting patterns of the northern midwest (you know, that supposed 'heartland', do not bear out the idea of the coasts being liberal and the rest of the nation being conservative when it comes to politics).
FWIW, I think the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have about 1.8 million people combined, while the state of Pennsylvania as a whole has over 12 million people.
FWIW, I think the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have about 1.8 million people combined, while the state of Pennsylvania as a whole has over 12 million people.
Yes. I also expect a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would permanently ban not only same-sex marriages but also same-sex civil unions, hospital visitation rights, etc. to pass because outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh much of the rest of the state is horribly socially-regressive and/or Republican conservative. Even Scranton, Erie, and Allentown, for being three of the state's largest cities, are the blue-collar union Democrats, not the liberal ones you'll find in the larger cities.
looks like NE may have been the only area in the country where most of the areas rural and urban voted for kerry?
That's not necessarily saying much though. I voted for Kerry simply because I hated Bush, as did every one of my friends (except one who is a staunch Republican). We didn't "like" Kerry; we just didn't want four more years of failure, which the South was so nice to deliver for us with the way they voted in 2004.
looks like NE may have been the only area in the country where most of the areas rural and urban voted for kerry?
i can only speak for NJ, but (as usual) terrapin's wrong. NJ *rural* (however you want to define it, outside the true urban areas) went for Bush big time.
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