STEPHEN FRY

Hello, Henry. I haven't seen that episode of Fry in America yet, but I read about his visit to Missouri in the book. I've been to St. Louie several times and it was perfectly charming. I may joke about it being a shithole, but that's because I'm from Kansas City, which is a sports rival city on the West side *flashes gang symbol* of Missouri. But really, I've never had any problems with it or the people. I'll have to wait and see how it was represented in the show.

If I had to choose between St. Louis and Florida for the democrats I would pick St. Louis. Sure there are some less than desirable parts of the city but with 400,000 people you would expect that. There's lots nice parts, and pretty parts and if your lucky they might actually send you outside of the city, the hills of Missouri are beautiful. And they have some really good food. And that arch is really cool - the elevators are very funky and the view is spectacular.

Florida you can see on any cheesy America TV show and I don't think they would be sending you to Miami Beach - and you saw what Stephen thought of that.

Saint Louis was just lovely when I was there 4 years ago or so. Florida is never nice though.

I'm distressed.

After shouting at CNN and more specifically Sarah Palin for the last few months, I've decided to go to America and help with the Obama campaign. Putting my money where my mouth is so to speak.

My wife thinks I'm mad. She has a point.

The Democrats have asked me to go to St. Louis in Missouri which is a marginal state. So I was really looking forward to seeing it on the the show. I wanted to get excited about helping out in a place which until last week I couldn't even put on a map.

Whilst it was informative it left me feeling as if perhaps I should have gone to Florida...

Could Mr. Fry or his distinguished followers let me know if it's as much of a dump as it looked?

Can anyone tell me anything positive about St. Louis. Surely it can't be that bad. Can it? Even Lonely Planet has but a few paras about it and they're not exactly glowing.

I'm screwed aren't I? I knew I should have insisted on Florida...

Henry

St. Louis, like every major city in the US, is run by Democrats. Usually, that means run in the ground. Funny how no one ever takes a look at our largest cities and makes the connection between the governance and the crime/poverty/corruption.
CNN told multiple lies about Gov. Palin as part of the Obama campaign. They have forfeited their freedom of the press when they became Obama advocates rather than reporters.

St. Louis, like every major city in the US, is run by Democrats. Usually, that means run in the ground. Funny how no one ever takes a look at our largest cities and makes the connection between the governance and the crime/poverty/corruption.
CNN told multiple lies about Gov. Palin as part of the Obama campaign. They have forfeited their freedom of the press when they became Obama advocates rather than reporters.


Actually large cities tend to be democratic because the amount of people with post secondary degrees is higher and for some reason (speculate how you will) people with post secondary degrees tend to be liberal.

As for the forfeiting the freedom of the press...this election felt much more balanced than the last two have. The era of the Bush controlled right wing media is over and Sarah Palin came across as insane even on Fox News.

I will try to behave myself while responding to this, but I don't know how successful I'll be. I won't stereotype all people with post secondary degrees, but a good many of the one's I've met, aren't liberal, or democratic, I'd say all out, goose stepping, arm extended straight out in the Bund salute, barking fascist. A few of the ones I know on a few forums/blogs were banned from the sites because they let their inner racists out, using a particularly nasty racist epithet.

I've come to realize that democratic elites, have regressed backwards to when they were the party of slavery. Not all democratic leaders, but more than one would expect.. and academia, well it's common knowledge that academics helped bring Hitler to power.

I've been a dem most of my life, because for most of that time, democrats truly cared.. Since the '70s the party has gone downhill. If you look at what's been going on in inner cities, the poverty and suffering can be laid at the doors of democrats as well as republicans. I've watched the education system go down the toilet, because of academics who were deliberately dumbing down public education. Up 'til five or so years back, I would have written it off as a mistake, but not any longer.

Urban areas have been largely democratic, not because of college educated people, but because of the working class people that lived in inner city areas,, union workers. Of course some college educated people were democrats, but they are not the main reason for those urban areas that were largely democratic, being that way.