Branson, MO

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago

Hahahahaha. No, I'm not a republican. If you must know, I am much more independent than boxing myself into either group. I'd say I'm a fiscally conservative, socially liberal. More libertarian than anything.

If you lived here in Canada, you could join the Progressive Conservative Party

[Centropolis]

I'm a cornered machine democrat with a magic wand that takes AAA batteries. It doesn't build skyscrapers but it says "Moses was a democrat" in a robotic smokers voice.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

^
You have it kind of right. Liberal people are more intelligent than conservative trending people. Democrats are sadly, less intelligent overall than republicans.

Sorry, I meant conservative and liberal instead of Republican and Democrat. But it's not intelligence per se, it's education level.

However, the more highly educated one is, and the higher a professional position one attains, the more likely one is to vote Democrat... whereas this used to be the other way around. It shows the change in the makeup of the Republican party, as I mentioned above.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by toyota74

This Republican vs. Democrats thing seems to be slicing
America right up the middle.Looking at the posts here,its
like you are all from different countries.

It's nothing new. It's been going on in one way or another for much of America's history. The parties have shifted all about and have swapped places in many ways, but it's always been one side vs the other.

[Centropolis]

I want to talk about the decline of country music, damnit. All you assholes want to talk about it politcks.

[johnnygosox]

Wow Pj3000.....I'm overwhelmed by your data and sources from which they spring!! Please stop inundating me with such accurate information bolstering your cogent thoughts and nonpuerile attitude.
I think your mom just called you for afternoon caviar....better not be late this time or she might not let you read all about your trust fund again tonight.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

I want to talk about the decline of country music, damnit. All you assholes want to talk about it politcks.

Yeah, enough with all this political garbage. As for the decline of country music... I can't stand to listen to pretty much anything on country music stations or what I see on TV. The country pop that seems to be insanely popular in the US is really bad, in my opinion... but I don't profess to really know a whole lot about current country artists. That Rascal Flatts crap is really puzzling to me as to why they are so popular. Again, I've only seen them when they appear on late night talk shows or some other appearance, but what I have heard, I think is awful. On the other hand, I think traditional country music is badass... you can hear the blues just pouring out of that stuff. It's got soul. Jimmie Rodgers, Dock Boggs, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, Chet Atkins, Patsy Cline, Townes Van Zandt... those are some that I like. Who plays in Branson?

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by johnnygosox

Wow Pj3000.....I'm overwhelmed by your data and sources from which they spring!! Please stop inundating me with such accurate information bolstering your cogent thoughts and nonpuerile attitude.
I think your mom just called you for afternoon caviar....better not be late this time or she might not let you read all about your trust fund again tonight.

Hey, good stuff! You should try being even more of a dick with your next post!

If you're actually interested in contributing something, why don't you look into the national election studies done by the Washington Post, Univ of Michigan, and Stanford... there should be enough "data and sources from which they spring!!" on the topic to satisfy an obviously miserable person like you, who, from what I can recall, basically only comes on the forum to post accusatory crap.

[johnnygosox]

Pj, your posts just compell me to respond the way I do.

[LMich]

I'll say this one more time, photolitherland, but you'd do so much better if you let your pictures speak for themselves instead of posting hardly subtle political commentary in every one of your photothreads. What would be an awesome photo thread turns into a distracting and tacky photothread because of it.

This is a photo forum; there are other places here for deeper political discussion, if you'd like. It's one thing to make observations about a place looking at photos. In fact, that's exactly what this forum is for. It's a whole other thing to get into existential political debates in a photothread. So, that kind of stuff ends, here.

[village person]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

Branson: where a fountain would be too sissy, so we made it.... er.... flaming.

I'm more likely to be caught in a vegan restaurant, Whole Foods, or gay sex shop (in keeping with the retail theme laid out in this thread) than anything found in Branson, but I'm also on good terms with a fair number of people who have Branson on either their list of favorite travel destinations or places to see before they die. So to anyone who thinks a balance can't be struck in this deeply divided country, it's not completely true. I think it's just become too common for people to lay their fringe interests and perspectives on the table first, while the boring and mundane "common grounds" we share with people across it have become afterthoughts, buried under the clutter, when it's really what we should be pulling out of our pockets first.

[Centropolis]

I'm actually kind of shocked at how many people on here actually know what/where Branson is.

[SkyscrapersOfNewYork]

how could one picture of one redneck shop make so many on this thread formulate a negative opinion about an entire city...the world will never know


great tour btw!

[patriotizzy]

I don't get it, why do people hate this city? I think it's cool how it's a small Vegas almost (the Hollywood buildings and that Titanic one for example). Although, Dixie Outfitters sure gives out a bad thought -_-

Honestly though, I don't know where the hate comes from? Is it because it's trying too hard to get tourists and makes the town looks like a cheesy city?

[AusHou]

Originally Posted by SkyscrapersOfNewYork

how could one picture of one redneck shop make so many on this thread formulate a negative opinion about an entire city...the world will never know


great tour btw!

I don't think it's the single photo. It's previous knowledge, including first hand experience, of Branson by some forumers regarding the "redneck" clientele who make Branson one of their favorite destinations.

[SkyscrapersOfNewYork]

Originally Posted by NewTex

I don't think it's the single photo. It's previous knowledge, including first hand experience, of Branson by some forumers regarding the "redneck" clientele who make Branson one of their favorite destinations.

but i doubt everyone here has even so much as seen Branson from a distance.

[Expat]

I used to be a Branson hater myself. Mostly because I was seeing it from a political point of view. And because hillbilly schtick doesn't interest me. Even though Branson is 5 hours away (give or take) from St. Louis, the area is growing with retirees & such from all over and has increasing influence on state government--threatening Missouri's traditional bellweather status . That area sends people to Jefferson City that hate cities and won't allow anything that benefits cities, such as transit, etc. The hate goes both ways and I think that is why our STL guys and other urbanist have extra hate for Branson and that area in general.

But, I recently went there and tried to see it without a political lense. Maybe because I was going with parents-in-law who were there to have a good time. The old folks did have a blast. And so did I in my own way. First of all, the old town near the river has a bit of charm. A nice pedestrian oriented town with cute shops and restaurants. (A little too cute for me) The new section right on the river is put together quite nicely. It brings people down to the riverfront area which is quite lovely & peaceful. It is very pedestrian oriented. The fountain might seem rather foolish or over the top in the picture shown here. But, in reality it is fun. It puts on a great water & fire show. It is inspired by the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas. Let's remember that "fun" is the only purpose of Branson. Most any city would love to have this new development to tie their main town to their waterfront. Again the shops are too cute for me, but that is OK. Now to the rest--the strip-- or whatever you want to call it. It is a strip of boardwalk-type attractions with a hillbilly schtick & healthy dose of Lawrence Welk style. Nothing more or less. I do find the "God & Country" schtick to be rather cheap and certainly cheapens the concept of both God & patriotism. But, I am not their intended market. Grandparents eat it up. The surrounding countryside is scenic and might be the real attraction. In the way the ocean is the real attraction of tacky boardwalks. I wouldn't live there and wouldn't go out of my to visit again. But, it is what it is. Every region has it's version. Tacky boardwalk & roadside type attractions. Cheap holiday for kids and grandparents. And a couple of decent restaurants for the parents.

[village person]

^Good points, but I want to counter your claim of Branson's political weight. I used to live in Missouri and still have many friends there and I've never known Branson to hold much pull in Jeff City. Its micropolitan area is barely 1% of the state's population. Granted, I don't know how many people move to Springfield for the 'Branson life', but even adding in Springfield's metro area we're only up to 8% of the state. The vast, vast majority of Missourians are STL and KC suburbanites, and I don't think Branson's going to budge that any time... ever.

[Expat]

I meant Branson/Springfield and the entire SWMO region. True, they are not big enough on their own to control the state. But, big enough to alter the delicate balance that used to exist. Only a few this way or that way can make a difference in state like Missouri. I feel the bellweather status of the state is threatened because of this. Anyway, it wasn't my intention to get into political discussion.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Expat

I meant Branson/Springfield and the entire SWMO region. True, they are not big enough on their own to control the state. But, big enough to alter the delicate balance that used to exist. Only a few this way or that way can make a difference in state like Missouri. I feel the bellweather status of the state is threatened because of this. Anyway, it wasn't my intention to get into political discussion.

I feel like SW MO is over represented these days, especially considering what they contribute to the states economy, and they absolutely disrupt the very delicate balance in MO. That's why St. Louis County and an increasingly wealthy St. Louis City (average income has increased almost $10,000 over the last few years) need to present a united front once again. A lot of money gets spent down in increasingly suburban/exurban SWMO but for very little return, meanwhile, we have pressing infrastructure issues in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, the primary economic engine of the state.

Additionally, on the other side of the state, the state of Kansas is poaching major corporations and tax revenue from KCMO (and obviously Missouri), essentially building the regions version of west county (and Clayton) with even less cooperation with the urban core (and of little benefit to MO) by an order of magnitude. As far as I can tell, the state of MO seems blind to this, and it's getting ugly.