Do Chicagoans Really Put Down Other Midwestern Cities?

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

Originally Posted by MassVt

while Indiana and Missouri have been predictably red for a long time.

Actually, Missouri has historically been a "bellweather" state-- They vote for the winner almost every time, including Bill Clinton, Carter, Johnson, Kennedy, etc. Obama was one of the rare exceptions.

You're correct about Indiana normally being predictably red, but Obama was an exception for them, too-- He won the state (by a narrow margin) in 2008.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by SkylarkPhotoBooth

Actually, Missouri has historically been a "bellweather" state-- They vote for the winner almost every time, including Bill Clinton, Carter, Johnson, Kennedy, etc. Obama was one of the rare exceptions.

You're correct about Indiana normally being predictably red, but Obama was an exception for them, too-- He won the state (by a narrow margin) in 2008.

It always surprised me that the stars and bars didn't rise above Indiana. Interesting state: at one point (I believe in the 1920s), Indiana has the largest number of KKKlansmen. And when you get past Bloomington, southern Indiana is basically Kentucky.

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

Originally Posted by edsg25

southern Indiana is basically Kentucky.

True, but the same can be said for Southern Illinois (I mean deep Southern Illinois, not St. Louis area) and Southern Ohio. Hell, the Cincinnati airport is *in* Kentucky.

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by SkylarkPhotoBooth

True, but the same can be said for Southern Illinois (I mean deep Southern Illinois, not St. Louis area) and Southern Ohio. Hell, the Cincinnati airport is *in* Kentucky.

Well, of course—Kentucky borders both to the south. It isn’t surprising in the slightest to point out that border regions resembled one another. But for IL and IN, in terms of population, the vast majority of it is in either the northern or central parts of both states.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by edsg25

It always surprised me that the stars and bars didn't rise above Indiana. Interesting state: at one point (I believe in the 1920s), Indiana has the largest number of KKKlansmen. And when you get past Bloomington, southern Indiana is basically Kentucky.

During the Southern Rebellion Indiana had a very loyal governor and the population, even ex southerners, realized their best interests lay in loyalty to the United States. And since there was no slavery in Indiana there was no reason for Hoosiers to rebel, protection of slavery being the reason the Southerners rebelled. Although the rebels were fighting to protect slavery the Americans were fighting to suppress rebellion, not to free the enslaved. This disconnection between motives is the source of misunderstanding.

The Union general Jefferson Davis was from Indiana. He was regular army and rose to the high position of commander of the 14th Corps. He was a virulent racist, even for the times, but was loyal to the United States and a fierce fighter.

[Irishtom29]

Early American settlers of Illinois came up from the south. These settlers liked the wooded, broken country of southern Illinois but stopped short of the Grand Prairie north of the Shelbyville Moraine.

When the Erie Canal opened Illinois was flooded with hard working, enterprising settlers from New England and New York. These were the people who settled the prairie and broke it to the plow (literally, John Deere, who invented the steel plow that made working the rich moist prairie soil practical came to Illinois from Vermont). They were also the people who saved Illinois for civilization.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by SkylarkPhotoBooth

True, but the same can be said for Southern Illinois (I mean deep Southern Illinois, not St. Louis area) and Southern Ohio. Hell, the Cincinnati airport is *in* Kentucky.

Yep...the southern parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio were the first parts settled.....and those getting there on the Ohio River were largely Virginians