# Another Flurry Of Bipartisan Idiocy **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 22, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077 "2007-03-22T21:08:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077/21 "2007-03-24T02:51:01Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Puerto Rico has consistently voted to remain in their current status. Should they desire statehood, I would support it. Until then, they have no reason to expect full representation. [/quote] Fair enough, I guess–but why the hell don’t they want statehood? I just don’t see the downside to getting it. > [@](#): > > You’re right, they’re not a United State - but that’s specious - both D.C. and Puerto Rico are a territory of the United States, as were 36 of the current states. It may have been flippant, but I don’t think it’s specious. My underlying point, again, is that if you’re going to have a democracy, it’s not right to have some citizens have less of a chance to participate than other citizens (excepting categories such as children and the clinically insane). If Puerto Ricans really don’t want the right to vote in presidential elections, that’s just weird to me, but it doesn’t contradict what I’m saying about how I believe democracy should work. (Incidentally, it’s similar reasoning that makes me hate the electoral college and its unequal distribution of the vote). Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077/22 "2007-03-24T03:10:04Z")
Tis Rome all over again. When the sow becomes fat and the greedy suckle upon the teets of the almighty dollar, then all becomes fragmented and lost. The Republic will fail because of the corruption and the fact that the people are so consumed with self-interest they become apathetic. We are selfish, shallow people and we deserve selfish shallow leaders. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077/23 "2007-03-24T09:41:59Z")
Puerto Rico won’t be admitted as a state until there is an offsetting state to admit. That’s why Hawaii and Alaska were admitted at the same time. One predominately Democrat and one predominately Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077/24 "2007-03-24T22:03:32Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’ll support a constitutional amendment to grant D.C. statehood. As Plan B, I’ll support giving D.C. back to Maryland, with the consent of Annapolis. There is no other way D.C. may legally and constitutionally be granted full representation in the U.S. Congress. Why does no one read the meat of my posts? Article 1, Section 8, reads in part "The Congress shall have power…To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States,… " Congress can do whatever it wants with D.C. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077/25 "2007-03-24T22:46:45Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] Fair enough, I guess–but why the hell don’t they want statehood? I just don’t see the downside to getting it. [/QUOTE] The independance movement draws some support away from statehood. My understanding is that for some, especially the young, favoring statehood is seen as walking away form their distinctive PR heritage. Maintaining commonwealth status is the midpoint between (on one hand) selling out to the US and (on the other) becoming suddenly saddled with the burdens of independance. Also, no income tax is a nice perk. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077/26 "2007-03-24T23:23:29Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Carrot] Why does no one read the meat of my posts? Article 1, Section 8, reads in part "The Congress shall have power…To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States,… " Congress can do whatever it wants with D.C. [/QUOTE] I read it. You’re wrong. They can’t give it representation in Congress if it’s not a state. This is a disagreement it will take the Supreme Court to settle, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077/27 "2007-03-24T23:26:47Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] I read it. You’re wrong. They can’t give it representation in Congress if it’s not a state. This is a disagreement it will take the Supreme Court to settle, I’m afraid. [/QUOTE] Indeed. This would seem to contradict Article II, Sec. 2, Clause 2: No Person shall be a Representative who shall not…when elected, **be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.** Surely they would have to make DC a state before giving them a representative, wouldn’t they? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-flurry-of-bipartisan-idiocy/397077.md?page=1)