I didn't appreciate how really and truly awful PHP is until I was involved in porting a large website, hand rolled in PHP, to Drupal. After that experience my somewhat informed opinion of PHP is pretty low.

Python on the other hand is a capable language. A pity about the version 2/3 debacle. Its biggest down side is the "One True Way" philosophy which seems to extend, as you imply, to the Python community's intolerance of any other way.