It's not just the cities. We're in the Phila suburbs, and I find the same pattern of invisible GOP campaigns at work here. I've tried since 2004 to get more involved at my township level and found it tough going. Committee people don't return phone calls and things work (or don't) through a very closed network. At election time, the GOP candidates are all but invisible, or are lukewarm semi-dems. Candidates for local offices, such as Township Commissioner or School Board, are often cross-filed, obscuring party affiliation. At the county level, there seems to be more openness to actually getting something done - at least recently.
Of that, I have no doubt. Unfortunately, Philadelphia is one of the worst examples of this sort of fiasco. The “leadership” is literally paid via patronage NOT to contest the absolute Democrat hold. I consider it nothing short of criminal.