Liberal Talk Radio

Watching TV last night, they started talking about the Inauguration parties. Seriously, as much of a political dork as I might be, the thought of a party in DC reminds me of the “safe” parties that they used to throw in the dorms when I was an undergrad. The ones that no one went to.

Joseph Ellis makes a remark in his book, Founding Fathers, about the decision to move the U.S. capital out of New York or Philadelphia. It was a major break from Europe, where the policial and financial centers were located the same city (London, Paris, Brussels). But America broke from that tradition, choosing to center the government in D.C. and the finance in New York. It’s interesting to think of the implications of this.

The first that comes to mind, and the reason that I bring it up in this post, is that it D.C. has become a “company town,” unlike other world capitals. It’s dominated by government, and so it lacks the vibrancy and dynamism of those other cities. Think about how different it would be if the capital were still in New York. For one, the inauguration parties would kick some serious ass. Even Republicans might be able to get some real celebrities to show up.

Of course, New York would just be too damn huge.

But what if the capital stayed in Philly? What would that mean for life in New Jersey? Two words: mobsters AND lobbyists. Now that’s where all the great parties would happen.