Quote Originally Posted by Motley View Post
That's my point. Tom Brady began with two feet and a full set of teeth and two arms. He worked hard to be the best, but he began just like everyone else.

San Diego and SF have great harbors for shipping and near perfect weather. Miami has unparalleled beaches and warm winters. Charlotte sits in a beautiful area, not overly far from major populations and has mild winters for retirees. They are blessed with natural features that can partly explain why they are so popular. Dallas and OKC are very similar geographically and weather-wise. No one is choosing Dallas for its climate or to revel in its oceans or mountains. Yet for some reason it explodes with growth compared to OKC.

Likewise, it is not the politics of the region. OKC may be more conservative than Dallas, but OKC is up there with Mesa, AZ, Anaheim, and Arlington, TX. Regions that are expanding or have expanded in the past at rates more comparable to Dallas. So it's not the politics that drive growth.

The point of this line of discussion is what keeps OKC from growing faster, and IMO, it's not due to geography, weather, or politics.
Dallas has milder winters, is marginally more green (though I'm not sure how much of this is due to climate or better beatification), and has a lower tornado threat compared to OKC. The big thing there though is the entire DFW metroplex has over twice the population of the entire state of Oklahoma. Dallas proper, in my opinion, feels like another world compared to OKC. It has a very different culture. It's really hard to believe the two places are only three hours apart. On the other hand, parts of the metroplex, particularly on the Ft Worth side, have an more of an OKC feel to them. DFW is naturally going to have significant draw due to its size, still relative low cost of living, and major hub airport.

In regards to Anaheim, Mesa, and Arlington, first of all those are suburbs of major metro areas and not core cities. Edmond and Norman should be compared to those places, not OKC proper. Most suburbs lean conservative compared to their core cities.