# Okay, can't we just split the country in two fucking pieces? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 3, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786 "2004-11-03T17:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kyyrewyyoae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Kyyrewyyoae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyyrewyyoae)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/21 "2004-11-03T17:39:13Z")
I’m sure I don’t speak for the entire midwest, but my personal theory has always been that everything east of the Mississippi River is Europe, and everything west of the Rockies is Asia. 😉 So i’m up for a congenial divorce, or at least a trial separation. Down with Coasties! ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/22 "2004-11-03T17:41:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Woodstockbirdybird** , take a look at the county results for California. We can do without the nutjobs in the Bay Area and LA County. The rest of the state is solidly Republican. > > Do we really need the Bay Area? What the fuck do they do for the country anyway? 😃 Well, now you’re just being ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/23 "2004-11-03T17:46:00Z")
> [@Linear Crack](#): > > How is that? By somehow not connecting with the American people even more? > > Wrong choice, anytime. > > -LC That’s the FUCKING POINT! George Bush doesn’t really connect with a LOT of people too. 55 million Americans voted for Kerry. I’d say at least 40 million are reeeeeaaaaaly pissed off at Bush. Its not like it was with Gore vs. Bush. We were divided, sure, but not in such a horrible way. I was happy with a Bush presidency at first. I didn’t think it mattered much either way. This just really, really, really sucks for a lot of Americans. We wanted John Kerry to be our president, and you wanted George Bush to be yours. That’s the deal nowadays. Do you really feel that we liberals should be subjected to your guy? I mean you don’t really care about what happens to us, you just want your guy to be in charge of you. Whatever… I just can’t take it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/24 "2004-11-03T17:48:39Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Well, now you’re just being ridiculous. That does it! If we ever meet at a AllCal Dopefest, I’m buying you a beer. Unless you’d prefer a nice Chardonnay… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snaggletooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Snaggletooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snaggletooth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/25 "2004-11-03T17:53:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Woodstockbirdybird** , take a look at the county results for California. We can do without the nutjobs in the Bay Area and LA County. The rest of the state is solidly Republican. > > Do we really need the Bay Area? What the fuck do they do for the country anyway? 😃 I agree, but lets keep the bay area and move out the liberals to the hills 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/26 "2004-11-03T17:58:11Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > That’s the FUCKING POINT! George Bush doesn’t really connect with a LOT of people too. > > 55 million Americans voted for Kerry. > > I’d say at least 40 million are reeeeeaaaaaly pissed off at Bush. > > Its not like it was with Gore vs. Bush. We were divided, sure, but not in such a horrible way. I was happy with a Bush presidency at first. I didn’t think it mattered much either way. > > This just really, really, really sucks for a lot of Americans. We wanted John Kerry to be our president, and you wanted George Bush to be yours. That’s the deal nowadays. Do you really feel that we liberals should be subjected to your guy? I mean you don’t really care about what happens to us, you just want your guy to be in charge of you. > > Whatever… I just can’t take it anymore. Grow up. And chill. If you break it apart, you probably won’t be able to put it back together again. In 4 years it’s just as likely the country will swing back to the Democratic side. The country isn’t going to be split, so if you don’t like it whole then move somewhere else. Either way, quit yer bitchin’. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/27 "2004-11-03T18:01:35Z")
> [@Snaggletooth](#): > > I agree, but lets keep the bay area and move out the liberals to the hills 😃 Where they can sit in their vineyards, sipping wine and talking about “Art?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/28 "2004-11-03T18:07:02Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That does it! If we ever meet at a AllCal Dopefest, I’m buying you a beer. Unless you’d prefer a nice Chardonnay… 😃 Hey, as long as you’re buying, I’m not picky about what I swill. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/29 "2004-11-03T18:07:13Z")
The problem with partitioning anything is deciding where to draw the lines. Wherever you put them, you’re going to put Republicans in Democrat territories and a Democrat minority in Republican territories. And once you guys have split into two countries on the basis of relative politics, the minority in each country will be de facto second-class citizens. What you need is the same thing a lot of democratic countries need: electoral reform. You’ve got the same problem Canada and Britain have in the winner-take-all, first-past-the-post system for the House and the Senate, and in your case you’ve compounded it with the electoral college system. What’s needed is some form of proportional representation to make sure that whoever loses the election by a few votes doesn’t get royally screwed. The United States was the first modern democracy – or at least the first to survive. The Model T of democracies. It’s been running off roughly the same system for more than two centuries, and it needs an upgrade to better reflect the will of the majority. Otherwise it’ll continue to tear itself apart until dividing the country becomes the only option. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/30 "2004-11-03T18:31:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Woodstockbirdybird** , take a look at the county results for California. We can do without the nutjobs in the Bay Area and LA County. The rest of the state is solidly Republican. > > Do we really need the Bay Area? What the fuck do they do for the country anyway? 😃 I’m not sure if you were being serious or not, but you can seriously go and fuck yourself. I guess you missed the fact that the rest of the state comprises probably something less than 25% of population and income generated. Do we in the bay area really fucking care what a shit farmer in Inyo county thinks anyways? Fuck you again, being progressive doens’t exactly make us “nutjobs”. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/31 "2004-11-03T19:08:05Z")
Separate the country? You mean like North and South Korea? Or like North and South Vietnam? Or East and West Germany? Hmmmm, yeah, that makes total sense to me. :rolleyes: And lay off of **Silenus** , he just responded in kind to **Woodstockbirdybird** : > [@](#): > > Here is my verbatim Livejournal post from last night: > > The real question those of us on the West Coast & in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeastern states should be asking is: do we really need the South and the Midwest? What the fuck do they do for this country anyway? Personally, I’d be just as happy if we gave all that shitty land back to the Indians. > > Tongue in cheek? Not a whole lot ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/32 "2004-11-03T19:11:10Z")
> [@Hamish](#): > > The United States was the first modern democracy – or at least the first to survive. The Model T of democracies. It’s been running off roughly the same system for more than two centuries, and it needs an upgrade to better reflect the will of the majority. Otherwise it’ll continue to tear itself apart until dividing the country becomes the only option. But the reality is we’re never go to have that reform, let alone agree on it. I definitely think this country is headed towards decline. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/33 "2004-11-03T19:11:44Z")
Sam, Sam, Sam… :rolleyes: \*\*Bird \*\* got it. > [@](#): > > Do we in the bay area really fucking care what a shit farmer in Inyo county thinks anyways? > > Fuck you again, being progressive doens’t exactly make us “nutjobs”. No, but statements like that **do** make you intolerant assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/34 "2004-11-03T19:12:24Z")
A shit farmer in Inyo County? That’s harsh. And quite untrue. Deep Breath. Count to 10… Actually, count to 2,103,840. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/35 "2004-11-03T19:15:41Z")
Aside from the dismissive “what do we need them for anyways” bit, I agree, at least in spirit, with his post. How do you unite two groups of people who are hopelessly divided? I don’t know a single person who is in the center and on the fence. They either all support one or the other candidate and there is no way in hell they would ever consider giving their vote to the other, for the differences are just so huge that they cannot, on principle do that. Sam ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/36 "2004-11-03T19:18:58Z")
Sam, let me buy you a beer. You and **bird** and **Yeticus** and I can sit around and bemoan the loss of, well, the loss of just about everything lately. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/37 "2004-11-03T19:22:01Z")
Think the Dem states should join up with Canada into a supra Canada. Leaveing what remains as the Republic of United States. ---
**Author:** ![Snaggletooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Snaggletooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snaggletooth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/38 "2004-11-03T19:22:46Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > Fuck you again, being progressive doens’t exactly make us “nutjobs”. Sam nope just a MarxistSocialistCommunistic progressive nutjob :wally ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/39 "2004-11-03T19:27:05Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > Aside from the dismissive “what do we need them for anyways” bit, I agree, at least in spirit, with his post. How do you unite two groups of people who are hopelessly divided? I don’t know a single person who is in the center and on the fence. They either all support one or the other candidate and there is no way in hell they would ever consider giving their vote to the other, for the differences are just so huge that they cannot, on principle do that. > > Sam As usual, well said. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786/40 "2004-11-03T19:28:29Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > I live in a red state and I’m willing ot relocate. If we don’t seperate we’ll never be happy because we are being dominated by “red america” It worked so well in Northern Ireland. Bippy: > [@](#): > > Think the Dem states should join up with Canada into a supra Canada. Leaveing what remains as the Republic of United States. Sounds good to this Canadian. I welcome the opportunity to increase our population from 32 million to about 170 million and make Canada the world’s largest economic power. Of course, the new federation must be on Canadian terms: - It has to be called “The Empire of Canada.” - Not all states get to be provinces; Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are all rolled into New Brunswick. Michigan is rolled into Ontario and Detroit is renamed “Greater Windsor.” Washington State is rolled into British Columbia. - All new Canadian citizens must swear allegiance to Tim Horton’s. - NASCAR is banned. - The Anaheim Mighty Ducks have to change their name to something respectable. - Premier Schwartzenegger has to wear a Mountie outfit. D.C. went Democrat, but you can keep it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-cant-we-just-split-the-country-in-two-fucking-pieces/272786.md?page=3)