The manufacturing cities are definitely old-fashioned Democratic, though. No argument on swing-state nature and the state-wide electorate being very, very representative of the USA overall. The Clinton-Obama contest this year is not ordinary, but Ohio typically plays a very important role and if you have the time, you can find one or more papers and news articles that make the words “Ohio” and “pivotal” a natural pair.

Also, if you reviewed the reports at the links I provided, you'll find there are places in worse shape than Ohio (again, colored by Dem manufacturing stereotype).

The manufacturing cities are definitely old-fashioned Democratic, though. No argument on swing-state nature and the state-wide electorate being very, very representative of the USA overall. The Clinton-Obama contest this year is not ordinary, but Ohio typically plays a very important role and if you have the time, you can find one or more papers and news articles that make the words “Ohio” and “pivotal” a natural pair.

Also, if you reviewed the reports at the links I provided, you'll find there are places in worse shape than Ohio (again, colored by Dem manufacturing stereotype).

The manufacturing cities are definitely old-fashioned Democratic, though. No argument on swing-state nature and the state-wide electorate being very, very representative of the USA overall. The Clinton-Obama contest this year is not ordinary, but Ohio typically plays a very important role and if you have the time, you can find one or more papers and news articles that make the words “Ohio” and “pivotal” a natural pair.

Also, if you reviewed the reports at the links I provided, you'll find there are places in worse shape than Ohio (again, colored by Dem manufacturing stereotype).

The manufacturing cities are definitely old-fashioned Democratic, though. No argument on swing-state nature and the state-wide electorate being very, very representative of the USA overall. The Clinton-Obama contest this year is not ordinary, but Ohio typically plays a very important role and if you have the time, you can find one or more papers and news articles that make the words “Ohio” and “pivotal” a natural pair.

Also, if you reviewed the reports at the links I provided, you'll find there are places in worse shape than Ohio (again, colored by Dem manufacturing stereotype).

Mark

Mark

Mark

Mark

What is true about it also applies to Ohio and other Dem-dominant manufacturing areas.

Look at page 9 (actual) (figure 5) of this document for an illustration of what has been happening in the Rust Belt. Now look at figures 1 and to in order to see what a difference it is in the newer, growing parts of the country.

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2003/censusbook.pdf

Also see:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/JustTheFacts.html

And:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/pharmstate20...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/manuf2002.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/upstate_taxe...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/economy04.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/appalachia.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/nyecon/benchmarkNYS.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/bulb.pdf

What is true about it also applies to Ohio and other Dem-dominant manufacturing areas.

Look at page 9 (actual) (figure 5) of this document for an illustration of what has been happening in the Rust Belt. Now look at figures 1 and to in order to see what a difference it is in the newer, growing parts of the country.

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2003/censusbook.pdf

Also see:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/JustTheFacts.html

And:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/pharmstate20...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/manuf2002.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/upstate_taxe...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/economy04.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/appalachia.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/nyecon/benchmarkNYS.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/bulb.pdf

What is true about it also applies to Ohio and other Dem-dominant manufacturing areas.

Look at page 9 (actual) (figure 5) of this document for an illustration of what has been happening in the Rust Belt. Now look at figures 1 and to in order to see what a difference it is in the newer, growing parts of the country.

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2003/censusbook.pdf

Also see:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/JustTheFacts.html

And:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/pharmstate20...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/manuf2002.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/upstate_taxe...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/economy04.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/appalachia.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/nyecon/benchmarkNYS.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/bulb.pdf

What is true about it also applies to Ohio and other Dem-dominant manufacturing areas.

Look at page 9 (actual) (figure 5) of this document for an illustration of what has been happening in the Rust Belt. Now look at figures 1 and to in order to see what a difference it is in the newer, growing parts of the country.

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2003/censusbook.pdf

Also see:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/JustTheFacts.html

And:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/pharmstate20...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/manuf2002.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/upstate_taxe...

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/2004/economy04.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/appalachia.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/nyecon/benchmarkNYS.pdf

http://www.ppinys.org/bulb.pdf

St. Louis, one place I've lived, is an interesting case. It's a Southern city that long ago became Yankee-fied (in large part from immigrants). Most consider it to be Midwestern and in the interior of the country — I used to joke about its name being Yugosibirsk (”South Siberia City”). It already has a good academic reputation (I'm moved to return there for health care research-related benefits as well as for a large number of other reasons) has a good telecommunications infrastructure in at least some places (Pete Abel no doubt knows this much better than I), and already has been the dream of many in forming there the biotechnological equivalent of Silicon Valley.

Pittsburgh is more authentically Snow Beltish and Rust Beltish — though it is no more all stereotypical than is Cleveland, Ohio) — and is a city that I would consider as an alternative someday to St. Louis (again including for health care reasons). Those who have been to both cities know that Pittsburgh is effectively the sister city in this country to Portland, Oregon (multiple-river junction, famous for bridges, skyline with hills behind it, even a tunnel to the west in both cities on the same US highway). CMU is famous for its computer science history and reputation.

I believe what's needed here is a struggle for these older areas to rid themselves of the outmoded, failed liberal politics and agenda items of years (indeed, decades) past. (And the last thing that can be concluded is that what was done in those decades didn't go “far” leftward “enough”!) They're already at quite a normal disadvantage climatically and with older structures and such versus the so-often-all-new-appearing development in the Sun Belt. (Not all the older buildings are gems architecturally; there are few true adherents of Newark-style “gritty city” locations.) Many of these places (in flat to rolling interior territory) away from the Great Lakes claim no attractive natural amenities, in addition to having climates that more and more people reject. (This is despite the fun you can have in winter and that places like Cleveland and Pittsburgh have their appealing elements; the latter city wasn't a fluke for having been named best-quality-of-life city at least one year by an organization that rated it.)

“do not have good business climates or the type of atmosphere”

Agreed. I believe that these cities have to try _even harder_ to correct these climate and atmosphere problems to get people to vote with their feet and their payrolls for them, than they otherwise would because they also face other disadvantages.

St. Louis, one place I've lived, is an interesting case. It's a Southern city that long ago became Yankee-fied (in large part from immigrants). Most consider it to be Midwestern and in the interior of the country — I used to joke about its name being Yugosibirsk (”South Siberia City”). It already has a good academic reputation (I'm moved to return there for health care research-related benefits as well as for a large number of other reasons) has a good telecommunications infrastructure in at least some places (Pete Abel no doubt knows this much better than I), and already has been the dream of many in forming there the biotechnological equivalent of Silicon Valley.

Pittsburgh is more authentically Snow Beltish and Rust Beltish — though it is no more all stereotypical than is Cleveland, Ohio) — and is a city that I would consider as an alternative someday to St. Louis (again including for health care reasons). Those who have been to both cities know that Pittsburgh is effectively the sister city in this country to Portland, Oregon (multiple-river junction, famous for bridges, skyline with hills behind it, even a tunnel to the west in both cities on the same US highway). CMU is famous for its computer science history and reputation.

I believe what's needed here is a struggle for these older areas to rid themselves of the outmoded, failed liberal politics and agenda items of years (indeed, decades) past. (And the last thing that can be concluded is that what was done in those decades didn't go “far” leftward “enough”!) They're already at quite a normal disadvantage climatically and with older structures and such versus the so-often-all-new-appearing development in the Sun Belt. (Not all the older buildings are gems architecturally; there are few true adherents of Newark-style “gritty city” locations.) Many of these places (in flat to rolling interior territory) away from the Great Lakes claim no attractive natural amenities, in addition to having climates that more and more people reject. (This is despite the fun you can have in winter and that places like Cleveland and Pittsburgh have their appealing elements; the latter city wasn't a fluke for having been named best-quality-of-life city at least one year by an organization that rated it.)

“do not have good business climates or the type of atmosphere”

Agreed. I believe that these cities have to try _even harder_ to correct these climate and atmosphere problems to get people to vote with their feet and their payrolls for them, than they otherwise would because they also face other disadvantages.

St. Louis, one place I've lived, is an interesting case. It's a Southern city that long ago became Yankee-fied (in large part from immigrants). Most consider it to be Midwestern and in the interior of the country — I used to joke about its name being Yugosibirsk (”South Siberia City”). It already has a good academic reputation (I'm moved to return there for health care research-related benefits as well as for a large number of other reasons) has a good telecommunications infrastructure in at least some places (Pete Abel no doubt knows this much better than I), and already has been the dream of many in forming there the biotechnological equivalent of Silicon Valley.

Pittsburgh is more authentically Snow Beltish and Rust Beltish — though it is no more all stereotypical than is Cleveland, Ohio) — and is a city that I would consider as an alternative someday to St. Louis (again including for health care reasons). Those who have been to both cities know that Pittsburgh is effectively the sister city in this country to Portland, Oregon (multiple-river junction, famous for bridges, skyline with hills behind it, even a tunnel to the west in both cities on the same US highway). CMU is famous for its computer science history and reputation.

I believe what's needed here is a struggle for these older areas to rid themselves of the outmoded, failed liberal politics and agenda items of years (indeed, decades) past. (And the last thing that can be concluded is that what was done in those decades didn't go “far” leftward “enough”!) They're already at quite a normal disadvantage climatically and with older structures and such versus the so-often-all-new-appearing development in the Sun Belt. (Not all the older buildings are gems architecturally; there are few true adherents of Newark-style “gritty city” locations.) Many of these places (in flat to rolling interior territory) away from the Great Lakes claim no attractive natural amenities, in addition to having climates that more and more people reject. (This is despite the fun you can have in winter and that places like Cleveland and Pittsburgh have their appealing elements; the latter city wasn't a fluke for having been named best-quality-of-life city at least one year by an organization that rated it.)

“do not have good business climates or the type of atmosphere”

Agreed. I believe that these cities have to try _even harder_ to correct these climate and atmosphere problems to get people to vote with their feet and their payrolls for them, than they otherwise would because they also face other disadvantages.