I know this doesn’t affect many/most of my readers, but the “Greater Idaho” issue here in Oregon is growing and becoming more and more front and center. Most analysts say it doesn’t have a chance in the long run/big picture, but the supporters refuse to let it go … and now a Republican state senator has put the issue before the Oregon legislature.
In any event, the map below shows what it would look like …
Notice the lighter “Oregon” sections within the colored “Idaho” boundaries. One can’t help but imagine the outlandish border lines of the two states were this proposal to be approved … which, in the end, Congress must do before any official alterations can be made.
The desired changes are related to … what else? Politics. As a Greater Idaho spokesperson said: “Eastern Oregon is culturally, politically, economically much more similar to Idaho than it is to western Oregon.” In other words, more of the Republican mindset.
Thankfully, the county I live in voted AGAINST this change so we won’t be included if the change ever comes to pass.
Nan's Notebook 
AS IF greater would be the right term!
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I think you’ll be seeing this in other states in the future. It’s been talked about in NY for at least 10 years or more.
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I would imagine that if Idaho gets what they want, the NY situation would move forward with greater haste.
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State of Jefferson ahoy! I’ve always thought at lest part of the underlying reason is being part of evil Big City California means they can’t slash and burn and rape and pillage and dam to their heart’s content. A true extractive, destructive economy. As well as anti-wokeness, of course.
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This isn’t the first attempt to “appropriate” part of Oregon into another state. Some in Northern California and Southern Oregon have suggested forming a new state called Jefferson.
http://www.sojaa.net/page/4220/state-of-jefferson
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Yes, I’ve read/heard of this movement as well. But the Idaho/Oregon one would have affected me personally, so of course, it captured more of my attention. 😉
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In one way I think this might be a good move for Republicans living in Oregon, but ONLY IF counties in Idaho can vote to join Oregon if they want, Surely there must be Democrat Idahoans who would not want to live in a Republican dominated state. Anyway, losing a big chunk of Republican voters should give the Democrat voters a stronger majority.
Unfortunately I see only one blue county in Idaho touching the Oregon border. Converely, easrern Oregon is much more red then western Oregon, although they are not as strongly red as counties in Oregon.
It will probably never happen, as you say, so this ua all theoretical.
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The obvious response to all this is … if you don’t like the politics where you live, then go where you DO like them. But of course, no one wants to move. 😎
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Repeat comment, I have no idea where the first one went. WP is being cery ornery these days.
Mass exoduses and mass immigration wouod cause huge problem if people just moved.
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Technically, yes. But the population is fairly small in the affected counties — and obviously not everyone would move — so I think the problems would be comparatively minimal.
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That’s what I was going to just say. If they dislike the political situation in Oregon so much and prefer Idaho, then just move. But that would require them to actually do something, which they won’t. These people love to rant and rave and whine and complain but they won’t actually do anything if it personally inconveniences them.
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You got that right! 👍
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We don’t see move to divide the state here. But most of Illinois is very Republican, except for the greater Chicago region.
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That’s similar to Oregon. Portland and many/most of the surrounding counties lean Democrat and since the population is greater there, we end up with Democrats in office. And the Republicans in the smaller counties can’t tolerate that!!
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I say, once I’m Emperor and make the US but a small part of my world Empire, such things will be of little concern to you. You’ll be far more worried about making sure there are plenty of Krispy Cream doughnut shops in your state to satiate my unquenchable appetite for said doughnuts should I ever bless you with my personage by visiting your state. So, worry not, my friend, and please, have a Krispy Cream day. 🙂
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Sigh. Never really cared for Krispy Creams. What to do, what to do?
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Oh lord, seriously? Krispy Cream is one of THE worst bits of rubberized dough like substances ever foisted upon an unsuspecting public. No wonder you never get elected emperor.
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Ah, a Dunkin donuts supporter, I see!!
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Elected? Elected? The Krispy Cream Nation doesn’t get elected. It rules by Divine Right. It INVADES.
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Yep!! You can be my second in command if you want! Long live the 🍨
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Yep. The same demographic applies to Washington State. I’m sure that the conservatives in the eastern part of that state would vote to succeed also.
I think it is stupid (like Texas leaving the USA and being a Republic again). But it is real.
Then there is the guy (former Rep legislator, me thinks) in NM who decides to just form up his own posse and shoot the damn Democrats. Crazy MFers.
I think CA and TX could split into several states (maybe others too). That would sure change the Federal Government. I hate politics. But,
now I need a beer. 🙂
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Have one for me too!
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I’m sure Idaho would be more than happy to take in Eastern Washington as well!
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What I don’t understand is the Small Gubmint argument here. Splitting up the state(s) wopuild create multiple new governments. Which even given an Alabama-style monarchy would still mean multiple capitals, multiple governing bodies, even multiple, duplicative bureaucracies. Since many of these tools are really looking for slush funds, maybe that is their real goal?
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Could be. But with each new state comes 2 senators and electoral college votes. I really don’t know, but it seems to me that they just want no libtards, illegals, free women, or good medical care. (Okay, the last part is exaggeration.) Do we have any history on this line of thinking? 🙂
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I meant mInarchy, not monarchy.🤪
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Idaho and eastern Washington are already getting a huge influx from the west coast. It is a completely different world here than there. Even a conservative from the coast would be liberal here and they bring that with them.
I would think most liberals would be in favor of this proposal. Why wouldn’t they?
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I’m not sure I follow …? Why would liberals be in favor? The fact that the conservatives are going elsewhere and thus they wouldn’t have to deal with them??? I must be missing something in your comment.
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No, you got it right. What both sides fail to realize though, is they actually need each other. Imagine the oppression any monochrome society could inflict on anyone who believed a bit differently by chance.
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In a perfect world …
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cancel culture. Liberals are filing themselves if they think the left doesn’t do it, too. And we already know what “Babble Blevin Christians” do. They are very open about THEIR goals. (I’m too old to fight for a spot on the last plane from Kabul, darn it!)
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What a mess … what a nightmare! And where would that leave Oregon … with a state the population of Alaska? I first heard this proposal a couple of years ago and I laughed, thinking it would never be taken seriously. Once again, I was wrong. 🙄
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I think the recent gun issue that was voted on here in Oregon prompted the issue to return to the forefront. Gotta’ honor the 2nd Amendment, you know. Even if it means changing an entire state’s boundaries!
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Ahhhh yes … if anything can get people riled, it’s the issue of guns! I’m glad you’re not in an area that would be attached to Idaho! I wonder if Jeff is … nah, I doubt it, I think he lives on the coast. I’ll have to ask him.
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They’ve been talking about this for YEARS around here. Splitting NY into two or three or four states. The main thing is to split away from New York City, there’s a real hatred of NYC. I’ve never understood it. I mean, NYC rocks. Everything is there.
The media portrays New York state as a liberal state & part of that is because of the liberalism of New York City & the way people in the media & all across the country conflate New York City & New York State into one entity & one concept. The truth is, most of New York State is very rural & very conservative. If you look at the recent governorship election, Kathy Hochul won ONLY the cities & even the cities are much more conservative than they appear … all you have to do is sit in any bar & listen to the talk of the people & you’ll find that out. I stopped going to many places for this reason alone … I don’t want to hear this shit anymore.
I keep saying that the USA isn’t united & we haven’t been for a long time. The only thing that keeps us together is the military, all the young men & women who keep joining up because they need to pay off their school loans. That won’t last forever … that’s a scam & they’re realizing it (another issue for another post). But we’re splitting into small pieces & I don’t expect us to be fifty states much longer. If you listen to how people talk, nobody seems to want to be one nation at all anymore. They don’t want to be fifty states, they want something entirely different. Maybe we will see what happens in our lifetimes; maybe not. But my wager is that the USA is done & it’s been done for a while. Like so many other nations who have gone through this process, it just hasn’t broken up yet.
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The United STATES has weathered some mighty big political storms over the years and so far have been able to stick together. Hopefully that will remain true through the current battles, but as you indicate, we may have reached a tipping point.
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Except we forget thst things have actually been far worse multiple times in the past. There were hundreds of bombings in the 1920s due to political turmoil. The 60s saw more political violence than today. i am a doom and gloom kind of guy, but we forget how tumultuous politics can be in this country.
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There is an old English word to describe what is going on there.
Gerrymandering.
gerrymander
/ˈdʒɛrɪmandə/
verb gerund or present participle: gerrymandering
manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favour one party or class.
achieve (a result) by gerrymandering.
“an attempt to gerrymander the election result”
Best wishes, Pete.
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American politics is weird.
Not the SA politics is any better.
The corruption and stupidity over here is just more overt.
Even after nearly 30 years of democracy( sic) if one criticizes a little too vociferously one immediately runs the risk of the race card being whipped out!
‘Twas ever thus.
Seems politics the world over has gone so far around the bend it’s like trying to see beyond the event horizon of a black hole.
Is it any wonder so many people become apathetic come election time?
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Ah, gerrymandering in ALL its forms, is alive and well and ever morphing into new versions of the original, eh? 😉
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Just look at the premiere league. Considering who is sitting on top, someone must be doing some serious manipulating.
*Note to Nan, Bless her.
No worries, I will slap my own wrist.
Carry on ..
🤣
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Ark … l like you. I really do. BUT! If you continue to push the limits … AND if PT responds, BOTH of your comments will be kaput. Fair warning.
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*Runs and hides behind the couch.
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Gotta’ laugh at how that map takes a herd turn eastward to avoid Bend and the Deschutes Metro Basin. Kinda’ have to have lived there (here) all your life to appreciate it, especially in light of our grandparents’ histories, but it really highlights the whole snot-nosery of it all.
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One of my alltime favourite computer games is the Shattered Union from way back when. It is set in the remote future 2014 when a nuclear bomb is set of in Washington DC. After the event Texas declares indipendence along with some neighbouring states. Escalation leads political lines to be drawn on map and effectively the USA sieces to exist. What is left is a bunch of loose coalitions of states locked in war over power and territory. One can play as one of these belligerent parties, or alternatively as Russia invading Alaska, or as I must admit I mostly did, as EU “peace keeper” force under the UN banner. What ever the end result in the game, one thing was always sure, the US cities were in ruins and the death toll was in millions. Fun game.
Anyway, it seems like an escalation process has already begun. Such division as to rearrange state borders and an open assaut against the Democratic institutions like the CongressDemocracies and peace are not given, they need constant struggle to be maintained. There are always enough tribalists to start a conflict, whose concerns need to be addressed, but not given in too easily – lest one may have to face them with arms.
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The Conservative is always ready to vote for a radical change to avoid some minor changes. What in practical terms about Oregon is so bad, that it is far better in Idaho? For anyone? When such votes are presented, they should always carry a pricetag attached to them. I bet Brexit would never have happened, if the UK people were at the voting situation told the economists honest estimations on what it will cost to the individual voter. That people would understand, that they are not just voting on a principle, or to protest, but that they are actually buying something with their own money, sweat and tears. Organisatory changes alone cost money and they are not cheap. The individual voter should have some concept of wether after the change they are going to live in a place with more or less taxpaying ability and is it going to be led by politicians who direct those funds to them, the general wellfare – that reduces crime, powerty and misery – or to their own pockets. Alas, it is that the corrupt leaders and Capitalists can always rely on the political laziness of a major part of voters, who can be scared by threats of change. Handy how such voters are created by abusing them with so much work they are too tired to find out about things, to have too little education to really understand society, thus to be voulnerable to propaganda and by selling them ridiculous consumer items with the pretence of fashion, that they mistake to be priviledges they need to defend tooth and nail, from those who can not afford the same – as if the society was some sort of competition.
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