One convention was finished, another loomed, but something seemed off as Martha MacCallum left Milwaukee. The former president had just accepted the nomination of his party, and the current president was hell-bent on soon doing the same. The pieces were nearly in place. At least on paper.

ERIE, Pennsylvania — Despite 40,000 people leaving this city since 1970 (10,000 of them between 2000 and 2016) and having the unfortunate distinction of being the home of the poorest zip code in the state – “ride or die” Erie residents, especially young people who have left for better opportunities only to come back to raise their families here, are a real thing.