in other news it appears Puerto Rico is going to have a referendum about its status in october 2012.
edited 16th Jan '12 4:25:08 AM by Baff
I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
scratching at .8, just hopin'
bien hecho!!! Will that be in time for their electoral votes to count in the presidential election?
Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Serocco
The referendum is this year... so, it looks like Puerto Rico will finally become an American state.
In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
that'd be fun. then chilluns would have another state to fail to locate on the map.
scratching at .8, just hopin'
IT'S A FUCKING ISLAND HOW HARD IS THAT?
DO PEOPLE FAIL AT LOCATING RHODE ISLAND AND HAWAII?
Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Prima Donna Director
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
funny either because irony or genuine stupidity.
More like giant cherries
Even if they do become a state this year, I don't think they will participate in the 2012 elections. It would take too much time to set everything up.
Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
You do realize half the kids in the US cant Locate hawaii, their own state, or any other geographically signicant country in the world, right?
edited 16th Jan '12 10:10:16 AM by Midgetsnowman
Actual Wrestling Legend
They'll be useful in the canneries.
I'm a skeptical squirrel
Decemberist
...oh my god I fail geography forever. I can't remember where Puetro Rico is. D:
Wow, I suck. Granted, I only got a few hours of sleep and stayed up until 5:30 yesterday, but w/e.
"Shit, our candidate is a psychopath. Better replace him with Newt Gingrich."
Even if they do vote for statehood, I don't think it would be soon enough to vote for the president. The elections are in November, right? And Puerto Rico's decision is in October. That's an awfully short window. *shrug*
But yay, new island state? How likely is that to happen?
FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC!
Even I know where it is, and there's no particular reason I should, as I've never even been to the States or any island other than Great Britain.
Decemberist
Well 
to you.
All I know is somewhere in the Carribean, somewhat close to Florida and Cuba. *shrug* Although I've certainly thought of visiting there on occasion. It seems like it would be a nice place to go.
Puerto Rico is the Eastern most island of the Great Antilles, and is the smallest as well. It is to the Southeast of the Bahamas, and east of the Dominican Republic.
It is still far less removed the contiguous 48 than Hawaii. And Alaska, I think.
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
Does Puerto Rico lean Dem or lean GOP? It'd be nice to have two more-or-less-permanent Democratic Senators permanently into the mix.
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
Decemberist
I think it leans Left, but they don't have Democrats and Republicans out there if I remember correctly...
"Shit, our candidate is a psychopath. Better replace him with Newt Gingrich."
Yeah, their parties are basically based on whether or not to be a state, continue as a territory, or opt for independence. There's a fourth party based mostly on environmental issues, which would probably fold easily into the Green party.
Basically, there would be a lot of shuffling around of political alliances and priorities if this vote resulted in statehood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_of_Puerto_Rico
Here, the current three parties are listed near the top of the page.
Edit: They do have branches of the Democratic and Republican parties, but right now they don't have much importance and exist as unregistered parties on the island. The Democratic party is split between statehood and their current status, and the Republicans support statehood. I'm not sure how this reflects general Republican or Democratic thinking. It'll certainly be interesting how the registered parties in Puerto Rico are influenced by the larger American two party system, though.
edited 16th Jan '12 12:42:40 PM by AceofSpades
Either statehood or independence, the protectiorate is a political limbo that needs to end. I think statehoood would be better, due to the long, shared history as a part of the United States, and free mmovement between the island and the mainland.
How come you feel so strongly about it? Don't you live in an unrelated country? (Genuine question, here.)
Decemberist
Jethro is le Finnish, if I remember correctly.
(We sure have a lot of Finnish tropers, relative to the rest of Scandinavia).
"Shit, our candidate is a psychopath. Better replace him with Newt Gingrich."
There seem to be a lot of Finnish tropers relative to... members from any other country. This site is like crack to them, I suppose.![[lol]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lol2v12_4863.png "[lol]"){kind=small}
/derail
scratching at .8, just hopin'
Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
It is located opposite the Dominican Republic. For context take Miami Florida, go south and you reach Cuba. Go east-southeast from there and you hit Haiti, due east of Haiti is the Dominican Republic, due east of that is Puerto Rico. (Due east of Puerto Rico is the US Virgin Islands, a tourist hotspot.)
Little Known Fact: The Bermuda Triangle's southernmost end is San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The flag making lobby is pushing for Puerto Rico to become a state!!!!
Lol, not really... but it would be an amusing headline.
I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.