Could A Pennsylvanian Be President? — Pennsylvania is known as the Keystone State and for most of America’s history it was the second most populous one. Yet, it has produced just one president, James Buchanan, who by all accounts was rather bad. In fact, most consider him the worst.
Yes, even worse than Obama, he was that bad.
Well, among those on that Las Vegas stage, Oct. 18, vying for the Republican nomination were two native-born Pennsylvanians — Ron Paul who was born in Pittsburgh and Newt Gingrich who was born in Harrisburg.
Granted, Paul is now a long-time congressman from the 14th District of Texas while Gingrich made his fame as a congressman from the 6th District of Georgia and now lives in McLean, Va. in the Washington Beltway.
And Rick Santorum? Pennsylvania’s former senator was born in Winchester, Va., albeit he would be the only candidate who would list Pennsylvania as his residence if he should win the nomination.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who represents Minnesota’s 6th District, also has a Pennsylvania connection in that she credits former Pennsylvania State Rep. Sam Rohrer with inspiring her to get involved in politics.
And Georgia businessman Herman Cain made his first mark in business by turning around the Philadelphia region’s Burger King franchises, although he made his home in Moorestown, N. J. while doing it.
With regard to Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, it is pretty hard to find a connection to the land of coal, steel and the Liberty Bell regardless of how hard one stretches.
Same would be true of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman who declined to appear in Vegas but remains technically in the race.
There is a caveat to Buchanan being the only Pennsylvanian to be president. Dwight Eisenhower, a native-born Texan who grew up in Kansas, ran as a Pennsylvanian in 1956 to win a second term. He ran as a New Yorker four years earlier. Ike would retire to Gettysburg after leaving the White House.
Ike was a pretty good president.
Could A Pennsylvanian Be President?
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