...You're right Dee...
As I have noted here before, contrary to what a lot of people think..NY State is not "all cities and suburbs". The largest portion is rural, some very much so. For instance, the Adirondack preserve is the largest wilderness area in the east.
I live in far western NY state..next to last county on the Penn/Ohio end... about as far from New York city as is Morgantown WV..
The most unfortunate point is that although the cities are chiefly located in a narrow band at NYC, and across the Erie canal to Buffalo...they contain the majority of votes..and they are very liberal/leftist...
The rest of the state is generally very conservative and on the right (outside that narrow population band).
Although we can get good congressmen... because they are elected for our area, we are of course only allowed 2 senators, elected by majority vote of the whole state.
Thus, we can not get any decent representatives where the whole state's vote counts. Even our Republican governors are "Rhinos".
Much of the territory outside the cities is just beautiful and great hunting...but economically, the state is going down hill fast.
The politicians are self-seeking and owned by the unions..they are doing to NY state what they have done to GM, Ford and so many other good corporations..
Don't know how long the state can be solvent....
I would like someone that is good with statistics to search out and make a chart or graph concerning this factor.
I would opine trhat the red states (2004 election map) are solvent and doing well, while the blue states are in economic decline...Hmmm !