The reason hundreds of Republicans and Democrats trundle out of state to celebrate Pennsylvania? In a word: tradition.
The venue was picked more than a century ago by rail, steel, and coal barons who exploited the Keystone State's resources and operated their headquarters in New York. Despite a few halfhearted calls to move the bash to Pennsylvania, few were willing to break with the past.
Barry Kauffman, executive director of the watchdog group Common Cause in Pennsylvania, said he never understood why the state's most flamboyant political gathering occurred outside its borders.
"Not only are we sending our cash to New York City for our biggest political event, it's also an event than can only be afforded by our biggest political contributors," said Kauffman, who did not attend.
Most guests "are people who are doing business regularly with the state and seeking favors," he said.
With seismic changes in the political landscape that soon will result in Republican control of the U.S. House, state legislature, and governor's office, many here have sought the ears of the new wave of leaders. The GOP's parties have been jammed.
"There were a lot fewer people last year," said Robert Gleason, chairman of the state Republican Party, surveying the crowd at the state committee lunch Friday.
Most of the talk has been about Gov.-elect Tom Corbett, his possible cabinet choices, and his agenda.
"People are here because they want to hear which way the governor is going to take the state," said G. Terry Madonna, a Franklin and Marshall University pollster.
For some who rely on state funding, the Pennsylvania Society event is about nurturing ties with the political establishment when budget dollars are precious.
In July, Drexel University's $750,000 state appropriation was slashed to zero. "We can't go any lower than that," said Brian Keech, vice president for government and community relations.
