What are we, chopped Fort Wayne?
From the New York Times Mazine article "Did Barack Obama Save Ohio?" which ran Sept. 5, 2012. The quote is courtesy of Ohio's Republican Gov. John Kasich, who also does not know his Lord of the Rings from a hole in the ground (another story, but read the piece to find out).
Here's the offending line:
“We have a lot of great cities,” he told me at one point. “I mean, if you think of Indiana, you’ve got Indianapolis, and then what?” He threw up his hands. “Terre Haute?”
I get what he's saying. Ohio has Toledo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton -- all cities with some national name recognition.
But c'mon, Bloomington is the home of "Breaking Away," Fort Wayne has, what, Vera Bradley? Evansville has the Ohio River. Gary has grit. Terre Haute? Not even in the running. Or "High Stink" as Bob and Tom unfairly used to joke.
Read the story....it's worth it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/ohio-economy.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www
Comments
Comedian Steve Martin once made a derogatory statement about Terre Haute being the "most nowhere place in America." The Tribune-Star explains how the city responded to his remarks:
It all started Nov. 18, 1978, when Martin entertained a crowd of 7,348 in Hulman Center. Later the next year, when a Playboy writer asked Martin which city was the most “nowhere place in America,” he chose Terre Haute, and complained he couldn’t find any places open downtown to eat or shop, his hotel TV was on the fritz, and when the tube did work it was filled with fertilizer commercials.
When The Associated Press heard about Martin’s dig at the city, a wire service reporter called Mayor Bill Brighton’s office for comment. At first, Brighton was miffed. Then, after being counseled by his assistant Vicki Weger, Brighton invited Martin to revisit Terre Haute on a personalized tour. On Dec. 7, 1979, Martin took up Brighton’s offer, and got led from a greasy spoon diner to a car wash in a jalopy, a fertilizer plant, a farm implement store and City Hall, where 2,000 people greeted him with signs like “Welcome, Billy Martin.”
Contrite, Martin recanted his portrayal of Terre Haute, and vowed to stage the world premier of “The Jerk” in Terre Haute, which indeed happened just days later. He also immortalized the city in later films, including “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid,” in which a villain’s plot to dominate the world with a deadly cheese mold claimed, alas, only Terre Haute.
Ohio is going to hell in a handbasket. We really care what their two-bit governor thinks?
No offense taken - One could say that about Illinois too. You've got Chicago and then what - Rockford?
Lots of great cities in Illinois besides Chicago. Ok, not E St Louis, but otherwise, there's, well, Peoria. Champaign in Urbana, Springfield. Mmmm. Danville! The Other Bloomington. Keokuk! Oh, that's in Iowa. Quincy!
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Lake and Porter Counties=Chicagoland
South Bend=Tri State Area!
New Albany/Clarksville/JeffVille=Louisville
Evansville/Newburg=Kentuckyiana/Tri State Area!
Richmond=Greater Dayton!
Terre Haute=Illiana
Ft Wayne, Bloomington, and Anderson/Muncie/Marion (sometimes /Kokomo/Noblesville/Carmel/Fishers) are units, ideologically, as Indiana. The rest are outlying areas somewhat identified with the states they border. Instead of having a statewide media network identifying us, we all look to Indianapolis as the hated state capitol, even here in Bloomington. Unity? Hoosier identity? Not so much.