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Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#48776: Feb 5th 2013 at 12:48:55 PM

Constant campaigning smokescreens shady policy with a popularity contest. That's why they do it.

edited 5th Feb '13 12:49:09 PM by Pykrete

Tangent128 from Virginia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#48777: Feb 5th 2013 at 12:59:34 PM

If we're talking elections, what impact would Puerto Rico statehood have if they move forward with it?

Do you highlight everything looking for secret messages?
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48778: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:00:52 PM

A few more solidly Democratic electoral votes, plus associated Senators and Representatives. The likelihood of the GOP establishing and maintaining a foothold there seems pretty much nil. It could make a big difference in the balance of power in the Senate.

edited 5th Feb '13 1:02:18 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Kami4 By Jove, Oh, My Gods!! from United States Since: Mar, 2012
By Jove, Oh, My Gods!!
#48779: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:09:23 PM

@Fighteer:PR has a Republican governor, Luis Fortuno. They aren't that deep blue.

edited 5th Feb '13 1:09:42 PM by Kami4

Blue-and-Orange Morality! It's my new favorite trope! Also, it's my signature trope! It's also going to be my Catchphrase!
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48780: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:15:52 PM

Hmm, you learn something new every day. Still, it would increase the Senate from 100 to 102 members, the House by some number of members that I'm not exactly sure of, and add the equivalent sum of electoral votes. No big deal.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Kami4 By Jove, Oh, My Gods!! from United States Since: Mar, 2012
By Jove, Oh, My Gods!!
#48781: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:20:04 PM

Scratch that, they had another election. Allejadro Pardilla, Democrat, Governor of PR.

edited 5th Feb '13 1:20:44 PM by Kami4

Blue-and-Orange Morality! It's my new favorite trope! Also, it's my signature trope! It's also going to be my Catchphrase!
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48782: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:22:02 PM

They certainly do have a lot of parties, but it looks like their version of the Democrats is fairly solidly in power this year.

edited 5th Feb '13 1:22:14 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#48783: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:23:22 PM

[up][up][up][up]Luis Fortuno left office on the 2nd of January.

Edit: Ninja, Beat me to it.

edited 5th Feb '13 1:23:51 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#48784: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:40:36 PM

I wonder how many reps they'd get and what party they'd side with. If it's the Democrats then I can't wait for Fox News to cry liberal conspiracy.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48785: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:45:15 PM

I can say that the Republicans' immigration policy is not going to be an easy sell to a state composed almost entirely of Hispanic voters.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#48786: Feb 5th 2013 at 1:46:01 PM

Speaking of Puerto Rico, what obstacles are in its path to Statehood?

[up] You can say that again. Probably one reason why the aforementioned Republican governor was voted out (or was it his last legal term already?).

edited 5th Feb '13 1:46:51 PM by MarqFJA

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
DevilTakeMe Coin Operator from Wild Wasteland Since: Jan, 2010
Coin Operator
#48787: Feb 5th 2013 at 2:28:48 PM

I'd see a situation not unlike Alaska, which had a very small population, and one of the big things that Republicans were against it was that they may not be able to raise the funds for taxes and it would become a welfare state.

Puerto Rico's population has been shrinking, as more and more Puerto Ricans move stateside (there's believed to be more Puerto Ricans in the US than there are in PR).

For most of its history as a Commonwealth, PR has been mostly against statehood, for the opposite reason - they received all the benefits of being US citizens, except for the right to vote, and they had fewer Federal taxes, etc.

However, as part of the recession and changing economic tides, PR hasn't been creating as many jobs, and their population is shrinking.

That alone would turn many Republicans against PR statehood, that whole "welfare state" fear, and that's before the political makeup of PR play into the US scene.

Glove and Boots is good for Blog!
Arkasas (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#48788: Feb 5th 2013 at 2:46:44 PM

This may shock you, but the Republican platform contains support for PR statehood. (The Democrats, on the other hand, support PR self-determination.)

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48789: Feb 5th 2013 at 2:48:09 PM

Which amount to the same thing if PR "self-determines" that it wants statehood.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#48790: Feb 5th 2013 at 2:53:54 PM

But, if PR, say, self-determines they want to be their own country, then it would be the Democratic platform, not the Republican one, that is more right. Self-determination is very important.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#48791: Feb 5th 2013 at 3:12:36 PM

Yes, very important. Of course, it's also subject to the Double Standard that is innate to realpolitik (you all should know what I'm talking about; no need to derail by mentioning it here). Then there's the issue of how it relates to territorial integrity.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#48792: Feb 5th 2013 at 3:51:20 PM

If they self determine not to be a state it's highly like that they'd choose free association, much like the Marinas, where we provide the defense that they don't have the money for. Otherwise, they would be independently self governing. That's the simple version, of course, it's always more complicated in practice. But I think they'd choose the status quo right now over free association.

Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#48793: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:16:52 PM

Happy 102nd Birthday Ronald Reagan!

Schild und Schwert der Partei
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#48794: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:20:32 PM

[up][up] Or like the relationship between Monaco and France.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#48795: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:21:42 PM

So let me get this straight, Alaska isn't a welfare state because...it votes Republican?

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#48796: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:21:59 PM

How's the relationship between Monaco and France?

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48797: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:27:18 PM

[up][up] Yes, by definition, Red states are not parasites, they are noble hard working free market pioneers who resent the heavy handed intrusion of government upon their affairs.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#48798: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:27:48 PM

[up][up] France handles all of Monaco's military defense needs; Monaco's only standing military force is a small bodyguard unit for the Prince and the palace.

[up] The Sarcasm is strong with this one.

edited 5th Feb '13 4:28:57 PM by MarqFJA

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#48799: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:29:07 PM

While most red states take more money from the government than they put in Alaska isn't one of those.

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#48800: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:52:22 PM

Given that they pay people to live there Alaska must be handing a shit ton back then.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.

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