Pennsylvania, it's been said, is Pittsburgh and Philadelphia

[liberaltrucker]

With Alabama in between. As an Alabamian with PA ties, I can testify that it's true.

Birmingham was founded in 1877 with the discovery of rich iron ore near what is now
West Oxmoor Road. The old mine shafts are closed now, but were evident as recently as
the late 1970's. Birmingham was, and is the "Pittsburgh of the South".

Unfortunately, both Pittsburgh and Birmingham suffered the same fate. Steel production
was outsourced. Kobe Steel could produce high quality raw metal at a lower price due to
advanced technology, technology the American producers couldn't or more likely wouldn't
pursue. Couple that with trade deals killed the textile industry in northeast Alabama and
numerous "rustbelt" industries in Pennsylvania, and we're bitter. You're goddammed right
we're bitter. Barack has nothing to apologize for. Hillary should just go the fuck away.
And, as much as it pains me to say it, take Bill with her.

YES WE CAN!!!

[TimeChaser]

1. Unfortunatly,

Pittsburgh can be surprisingly racist at times, and I say that as someone who grew up there and, aside from when I'm at university, still lives there. :(

[liberaltrucker]

3. So can Birmingham

Bull Connor's dogs and hoses in 1963. But, to an extent, we in the south got over it. Looks to me like
y'all in the north are well on your way.

PS-my lady friend is in Butler County. I'm bringing her along!

[2rth2pwr]

2. These are the people that Obama insulted in PA

Country Folk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4s0nzsU1Wg

[SleeplessinSoCal]

5. Insulted? When does empathy equate with insulting? Right. in the mud, with Hillary

[liberaltrucker]

6. Insulted how?

By saying we're bitter about being ignored? By being patronized? By the government
taking our hard earned tax money and spending it on a useless war? By our jobs outsourced?
If that's an insult, then, please Senator Obama, insult me. You're fucking right, I'm bitter.

[2rth2pwr]

10. Are you clingy too?

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them...And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."


Here is what Sen. Obama now says he said:


"So I said, 'Well, you know, when you're bitter you turn to what you can count on,' " he continued. "So people they vote about guns, or they take comfort from their faith and their family and their community. And they get mad about illegal immigrants who are coming over to this country or they get frustrated about, you know, how things are changing. That's a natural response."


1. Note how version #1's "cling" becomes version #2's "vote about" and "take comfort from"—as the condescending dismissal becomes empathetic understanding.


2. Note how version #1's "religion" and "antipathy to people who aren't like them" becomes version #2's "faith" and "their family and community" —as fundamentalist xenophobes now become beleaguered folks who band together against the unfairness.


3 Note how version #1's "anti-immigrant" becomes version #2's "mad about illegal immigrants" —as the nativist who opposes all immigrants, legal and illegal, now becomes understandably angry only about those coming here illegally.


4. Note how version #1's "as a way to explain their frustrations" becomes version #2's "they get frustrated about" as the misguided scape-goaters become those who react understandably to adversity.


5. Note no explanation in version #2 for version #1's "anti-trade sentiment"—and no wonder since Obama himself is embarrassed that so far he's voiced far more "anti-trade sentiment" than those he caricatured.


6. Note how version #1's "And it's not surprising then they get bitter" becomes version #2's "your'e" and "you" and "Thats a natural response", as the condescending use of the embittered and distant "they" now morphs into a kindred "you" and the quip "not surprising" becomes the sympathetic "natural."


7. Note how version #1's idiotic logic that Middle-America has only become religious or pro-gun in the last 25 years as a result of job loss is simply omitted.

8. Note how there is sudddenly no "context" for the landscape of version #1: an elite Bay-area audience that is told stories about those Pennsylvanian gun-toting zealots.

[liberaltrucker]

16. Newsflash: Dude's a politician

Although not quite as good as Hillary, yet. I'll concede that.

[cali]

21. humans are inately clingy, genius

it's hardwired into us.

[kster]

19. These are the people that have allowed their votes to be counted in secret

by computers, they are a tough bunch I'm sure, but they like many Americans have been convinced to allow another American/Vote Machine Company to count their ballots in secret.

If we Americans don't start treating the ballots like they are gold, we loose, don't matter how many guns you own or what church you go to on sunday.

Hand Count em before they are allowed to leave the polling place.(PERIOD)

[BlooInBloo]

4. I can't speak to Philly, but Pgh is also Alabama... Pitt, CMU, Chatham, etc. are just lil oases.

[liberaltrucker]

8. Philly has more in common with Montgomery than Birmingham

First capital of a new Nation. But, that's a later discussion.

:)

[JVS]

11. Pittsburgh isn't Alabama. Pittsburgh is sui generis.

I grew up in Pittsburgh and a great friend went to school in Alabama and he said it's a world of difference.

[liberaltrucker]

17. Culturally, yes

The issue is economics.

[stratomagi]

7. I would say its Alabama

in the very middle of the state, North of Pittsburgh are the bitter people.

[liberaltrucker]

13. My SO is in Butler County

Y'all in Mercer, Lawrence, Venango, Crawford, Erie Counties?

Get bitter, get pissed. You're not unlike us in Walker County, AL.

[JVS]

14. Home of the Golden Tornados!

Boy did students have a difficult time keeping a straight face when the football team had a game against them. It was so funny that lots of us went to away games. That and the fact that it was a very competitive matchup.

[Zachstar]

9. Just curious. What chances do you give Pittsburgh going Obama?

[liberaltrucker]

15. From what I've heard 50-50

Can't back it up. Limited net access.

[Zachstar]

20. Better than zero percent.

Let us hope Obama wins there and the whole primary of PA!

[Awsi Dooger]

12. It was always a sloppy comparison

Sounds cute and easily remembered but there's significant variance in voting tendencies, even in the lesser populated areas. Rural voters supported Bush 66-33 in Alabama during 2004. In Pennsylvania that net was sliced by 12 points, 60-39 in favor of Bush.

[liberaltrucker]

18. In Southern football terms

This election is the Iron Bowl. Throw out the record books.