"1 In 4 Americans Open To Secession" - Don't let the door hit you...

[ksoze]

BOSTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The failed Scottish vote to pull out from the United Kingdom stirred secessionist hopes for some in the United States, where almost a quarter of people are open to their states leaving the union, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Some 23.9 percent of Americans polled from Aug. 23 through Sept. 16 said they strongly supported or tended to support the idea of their state breaking away, while 53.3 percent of the 8,952 respondents strongly opposed or tended to oppose the notion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/19/america-secession_n_5848586.html

[walkingman]

1. What I see in Texas

from my neighbors (rural area outside of Austin) is about 50% would just love to secede. As you know this sudden craze was promoted by Rick Perry as his latest political stunt. From my experience, Austin or Houston are the only decent places to live in Texas. Houston because of the diversity of a "real city" and Austin because of it's progressive attitudes (although this is shrinking as the greedy bastards move in).

Texas is a beautiful state with a lot to offer anyone but since the mid 90's has become extremely right-wing and a poster child for just about everything wrong with America. I don't see it changing much in my lifetime.

[Volaris]

41. Maybe we should let them have it..

Texas, I mean..
Why not allow the exact reversal of the statehood process, and kick in for the moving expenses of anyone who wants to move In OR OUT...let them have their little utopia, and see how they do...

My bet is in 12 months it will be a territory of Mexico again =)

[LittleBlue]

2. I would consider it

Washington state would do well in a union with the other states of the west coast. Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada.

So tiresome being dragged into policies to appease dissimilar people 3000 miles away. Let them break away, or let us break away.

[former9thward]

6. The problem is that if you take out Seattle, WA is a red state.

So would they get to break away? In CA a majority of the geographic area is red. Do they get to break away? In OR all of southern OR and east of the Cascades is red. Do they get to break away?

[LittleBlue]

8. Let them do what they want

The crown jewel is Seattle. If the east side of the state wants to go, let them. We lose some farming but that's about it.

The main thing is we keep our aerospace and technology. My guess is they come along rather than join Idaho.

[FSogol]

3. Screw that. In 3-7 years, Texas will be a purple-leaning blue state.

It'll be game over for the GOP on a national level once California, New York, and Texas vote blue. The term 'swing state" will disappear.

[Glassunion]

7. I agree...

In the last election, IIRC more folks in Texas voted blue than the entire population of Connecticut.

[TBF]

14. Correct - the demographics are

getting there as we turn more hispanic.

Here are the 2012 popular vote numbers:

M. Romney 4,555,799
B. Obama (i) 3,294,440

It is still 60/40 and a lot of those dem votes come from the major cities - Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso

3.2 million votes for Barack Obama across Texas is nothing to sneeze at.

[gordianot]

4. It even hit here on DU.

As for as I am concerned it was settled by Lincoln and the small part by my ancestors on both sides. Although I live in what some would call a red State the Presidential vote was close by 5 percent. I tend to take the same stance as my ancestors with Union sympathy and would fit in the "strongly opposed" category by current standards. That sentiment goes for those whose political leaning are similar or very different than mine.

[MohRokTah]

5. Texas v. White ruled secession unconstitutional. eom

[former9thward]

9. No, actually it did not.

It said states could not unilaterally secede. No one, I think, is talking about that in this thread. The decision was 5-3 and was delivered in 1869 when the south was still under military control. The case was about who owned some bonds sold in the Civil War and secession was not the main issue of the case.

[tkmorris]

10. Not exactly, plus it was 1869

There are an awful lot of USSC decisions which have been completely reversed by later courts, most not nearly as far back in time as this one. Saying that Texas v White decided it and that's that is just, well, wrong.

[MohRokTah]

12. It's the standing precedent.

Plus, you know, the Civil War pretty much put to bed any notion of it ever happening again, especially since the Union is armed with nuclear weapons and all.

[William769]

11. It didn't work then, and it won't work now. nt

[world wide wally]

13. I suggest we get to kick states out. My first suggestion would be Texas, Arizona, and most of the

south. It would be even better if we could just kick counties out!

[Louisiana1976]

29. Not a bad idea.

[kentauros]

34. Sure.

And then the world economy collapses.

Encouraging secession should not even be the last thing on the mind of any Liberal

[Marr]

15. Californian here, and I'd be all for it.

From my perspective, too many of our states' sole exports are political obstruction and insults.

And there's too much power under one umbrella now. It would be much harder for the 1% to control things if we split up.

[cordelia]

16. This shit again.

Tedious.

It's never going to happen, so why even bring it up?

[kentauros]

35. Because

it's a Utopian fantasy for far too many so-called Liberals...

[truebluegreen]

37. I'd bet big money

That most of the secessionists out there are not liberals....

[kentauros]

38. I'm not talking about secessionists out there.

I'm talking about the ones on this thread and the rest of DU. Encouraging and/or supporting secession should not even be a fantasy of any liberal.

[Initech]

17. Watch when they go bankrupt after a month from their no tax tax policies...

They'll come crawling back.

[LiberalElite]

18. Yeah then

who'll be the illegal immigrants? Shoe will be on the other foot real tight.

[Initech]

19. Oh I would love to see their policies bite them in the ass.

[Volaris]

42. Who says they get to? Personal Responsibility, and the like.

[BillZBubb]

20. I would support a constitutional amendment allowing states to secede...

but with the requirement they pay for all US public lands and assets in their territory and that they take on their share of the US debt.

I would encourage the really right wing states to take up the offer too. Get rid of five red states, and the US Senate is blue forever. Which would mean the Supreme Court would also eventually be liberal.

Once the red states did their thing, I would approach Canada about forming a more perfect union with the blue states that remained.

It will never happen, but it is a pleasant thought.

[ProfessorGAC]

23. Good Ideas

That would also shut them right up. Tell Texans, "ok see you and because you're 5% of the population, here's your $745 billion in debt for your new 'nation'".

If those were the conditions, i think they'd drop the idea like a hot rock.

[libdem4life]

24. Invite all the Sececcesionists to those Five Red States/Texas and they can merge with Mexico.

Another pleasant thought.

[BillZBubb]

26. Mexico wouldn't take that deal!

[libdem4life]

27. Yeah, like I said, pleasant thought. Certainly would solve the immigration problem.

That's an even pleasanter thought.

[Louisiana1976]

30. A union of the blue states with Canada sounds like a good idea. We'd get single payer.

[Tumbulu]

33. great idea!

it is indeed a pleasant thought, and it might shut them up...but they are not long on the being reasonable part.

[Sheepshank]

21. and that same 1 in 4 persons rabidy insist on Pledge of Allegiance in schools

and conveniently ignores, "....one Nation....indivisible...." fuckers.

[Matrosov]

22. Let's turn their states blue instead

I don't think we should be too supportive of the idea of Texas or any other state seceding from the Union. Instead, let's focus on turning their states blue instead. Over in Texas, the border areas and Austin are already Democratic voting, and it looks like there are growing pockets elsewhere in the state.

Once Texas votes Democrat, it's over for the GOP.

[libdem4life]

25. This is the mature approach. And I think it's happening nationwide. The Dems in all polling

have gained up to five percentage points in across the board surveys. Rachel had it on her show and it was pretty surprising.

[Paladin]

31. Now, now, now. Don't destroy the Texas Haters' fun. (nt)

[kentauros]

36. Yeah, but that's too much work!

Re, how the national party said that Wendy Davis' campaign was a losing battle compared to "safe" states where it's much easier to win Democratic elections.

With "friends" like these...

[herding cats]

28. They said it was most popular with Republicans in rural Western states.

This part was surprising.

The urge to sever ties with Washington cuts across party lines and regions, though Republicans and residents of rural Western states are generally warmer to the idea than Democrats and Northeasterners, according to the poll.

Here's the breakdown by percentages, but I can't find anything concrete regarding political affiliation or specific regions.

Support or oppose the idea of your state peacefully withdrawing from the USA and the federal government?

Strongly oppose
38.6%
Don't know
22.9%
Tend to oppose
14.8%
Tend to support
14.7%
Strongly support
9%

22.9% didn't know? Who the heck were they polling here?

[onecaliberal]

32. By all means....

Don't let the door hit ya, where the good lord sits ya.

[Blue_Tires]

39. It means nothing...

It's one of those ideas that may be fun to talk about, but when the moment of truth comes in the voting booth, most will prefer the status quo

[whistler162]

40. I am going to guess this "poll;

was done at a Tea Party convention!