My boss on Capitol Hill, Congressman John M. Ashbrook of Ohio, traced his family back to immigrants from Virginia in the 1830s, and his congressional district was way up in Mansfield, NE Ohio. His father had been a conservative Democrat — John called him a Copperhead Democrat — from the same district for 22 years until he died in 1941, which was exactly how long John served as a Goldwater-Reagan Republican (and points right) until he died.
If you look at the United States map and you know that the lower half of the Midwest and all points south of that was settled by Southerners, it makes you wonder how sterile New England was. New England AND the huge Mid Atlantic states only settled the United States north of the middle of the Middle West! Take a look at how tiny and sparse America is north of that line!
Richard’s comment:
Hey Bob!
I live in Yankeeland, as you know, and rarely say “hi” up here, Most of those I know here in SE Ohio do the same. Probably helps that many are the descendants of Viginians.
Comment by Richard L. Hardison
#1 by Richard L. Hardison on 09/24/2004 - 8:40 pm
New England was sterile after the industrial revolution. I spent several weeks in Newport, Rhode Island while in the Navy in the early 70s. After the first two weeks of exploring the town I went back to the Navy base and only went off base to a Christian servicemen’s center 5 or 6 times. I’ve never been tempted to visit since. The people were unfriendly and turned worse when they found I was navy and got worse when they found I was a Southron.
In my opinion, Calvinism was the primary problem, not as a direct problem, but as the precursor that established the atmosphere. I won’t go into the details, but anyone with even a modicum of interest can look at Calvin’s Geneva and see what led to a secularized Calvinist region in New England, and the effects we see today.
As an aside. John Ashbrook seems to be less than a distant memory up here. We have a conservative Black man as Secretary of State who wants to run for Governor. he wanted to run 5 years ago, but the Republicrat establishment up here went for a RINO, Robert Taft. Taft has an illustrious name, but is not even half the man many of the earlier Tafts were. The current Taft is a lying Democrat, the soprt that passes as Republicans up here in enemy country.
#2 by Bob Whitaker on 09/25/2004 - 3:08 pm
The first Robert Taft had his failings. He led the effort in the late 1940s to have Senator Bilbo of Mississippi censured because he was a racist.
Robert Taft, Junior was a sickeningly respectable conservative Republican.
Is this one the grandson?