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Personnaly, I think Wisconsin is by far more German than Pennsylvania. Not only in percentage (42.9 % vs 27.1 %) but culturally WI is more known for having a German culture. When I think about PA, Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch comes to my mind but not necessarily Germany because they came earlier and create a identify that you only find in the New World. PA just have more people of German ancestry.
There are parts of rural southeastern PA, even excluding the Pennsylvania Dutch types, that are German and have lived in Pennsylvania since the 18th century. Many spoke German for centuries, and were the original colonial settlers more so than the British. The same areas got 19th century German immigrants, which fit into the existing German community. The same was probably true for Philadelphia, but the earlier German population probably assimilated faster and their numbers were overwhelmed by later waves of immigrants.
Putting on blueblood airs is a proud tradition for wannabes from many non-WASP backgrounds.
However, at traditionally for the Northeast, it's a politically stupid thing to do. It's more popular to play up your ethnic roots rather than emphasize "my ancestors have been here since the Mayflower".
That means judging candidates by their loyalties - to their neighborhood and ethnic group - and by their level of attentiveness to average constituents. Forgetting where one came from is the cardinal sin. That’s why Representative Michael Capuano never misses a chance to tout his working-class roots and home in Somerville. It’s why even the upwardly mobile businessman-turned-politician Stephen Pagliuca felt obliged to recall how an employer once told him, “I didn’t know they had Italians at Harvard Business School.”
Most extreme was a Boston politician, James Curly, in the early and mid 20th century who went out of his way to emphasize he wasn't a blueblood. He called WASPs in a speech "a strange and stupid race" and “The day of the Puritan has passed; the Anglo-Saxon is a joke; a new and better America is here.”
I know Wisconsin has a significant Catholic population but he just comes off as very waspy to me.
Yet you still hear Paul Ryan talk about his Irish Catholic roots. The Vice Presidential debate between him and Joe Biden featured the two candidates trying to out-Irish the other.
It looks like Joe Biden was inducted into the Irish Hall of Fame.
Quote:
Born in the heavily Irish Pennsylvania town of Scranton, Vice President Joe Biden has been an elected public official for over 40 years. His reason for entering into politics? What he calls the “Irish ethic of loyalty” that comes from a family history of public service. “In my family, politics wasn’t a dirty word, it was about righting things that were wrong,” Biden says. It is no surprise that one of his political icons is Wolfe Tone, who Biden described in a past interview as Senator with Irish America as “the embodiment of some of the things that I think are the noblest of all.
Because Catholics only make up about 20% of the US population-and most white catholics are in The Northeastern part of the US with only small pockets elsewhere like New Orleans.
I know Wisconsin has a significant Catholic population but he just comes off as very waspy to me.
Wisconsin is heavily Catholic, I would guess much more so than that 20% figure. Plus he's Irish and German. I agree that Ryan comes off as a jack ass though.
Wisconsin is heavily Catholic, I would guess much more so than that 20% figure. Plus he's Irish and German. I agree that Ryan comes off as a jack ass though.
Yeah, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are both 29% Catholic.
Rhode Island is the highest at 63% and Alabama the lowest at 6%.
However, at traditionally for the Northeast, it's a politically stupid thing to do. It's more popular to play up your ethnic roots rather than emphasize "my ancestors have been here since the Mayflower".
That means judging candidates by their loyalties - to their neighborhood and ethnic group - and by their level of attentiveness to average constituents. Forgetting where one came from is the cardinal sin. That’s why Representative Michael Capuano never misses a chance to tout his working-class roots and home in Somerville. It’s why even the upwardly mobile businessman-turned-politician Stephen Pagliuca felt obliged to recall how an employer once told him, “I didn’t know they had Italians at Harvard Business School.”
Most extreme was a Boston politician, James Curly, in the early and mid 20th century who went out of his way to emphasize he wasn't a blueblood. He called WASPs in a speech "a strange and stupid race" and “The day of the Puritan has passed; the Anglo-Saxon is a joke; a new and better America is here.”
It depends on where you're campaigning. It pays to be able to speak from both sides of one's mouth.
It depends on where you're campaigning. It pays to be able to speak from both sides of one's mouth.
Not necessarily. There's less of a positive to campaigain on your "blue blood" roots as those with longer term roots don't have much an identity of it. At least no Massachusetts would try such a thing, even there have been some WASPs elected to office.
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