If they wanted to do some serious strategery, the Republicans would actually use this as an opportunity to invite the Hispanic voters to their party. They could totally pass legislation and take credit for it and run on that in future elections.
That’s why it seems insane to me. Why would Puerto Rico give up its position in the world to be a mere “state” of the USA, subsumed into the USA and without any international voice at all? Being a nation in commonwealth with the USA gives them, effectively, practically any advantage they could want regarding trade and travel into the USA, but their own sovereignty. To be stuck under the anglos forever, however–why? For two senators and five representatives? Talk about giving up your birthright for gruel!
PR statehood would probably mean the anglos would move in and start trying to take over, because they’d figure that PR couldn’t throw them out. The very fools who voted for this would become the lower class in their own country.
Like I said (by mistake) in the GQ thread, it’s insane.
I actually hope that this gains traction in the media and that the republicans stake their careers on denying Puerto Rico statehood.
Anything that the republicans do to further marginalize themselves is fine with me!
That being said it was a very slim majority and I think it would be reasonable to ask for another, less confusing referrendum. Just a straight up, “Yes let’s be a state” or “No continue on as usual” vote… none of this IF you voted yes here then pick amongst these options.
In addition to what RickJay said, it doesn’t seem that conservatives can necessarily rely on Florida to send Republicans to the House and the Senate. If they could, the state would have voted decisively for Romney IMO.
The objective position is that they could have a vote and perhaps decide on who will be the president who sends them to war. Puerto Ricans have participated in all wars since WW1, but have not been able (at least those in the island) to vote for the president. And also, they’d like to have a vote on those federal laws that apply to PR.
And I repeat, more federal money is what traditionally has been promoted in favor of statehood in many places.
Also, I want to give two anecdotes that point out the disconnect you mentioned in the second to last paragraph:
First one, when the Alaskan Senator Young was talking about the Young Project back in the 90s, my grandfather (college-educated, school principal, US veteran, retired) was surprised that he was NOT an Inuit or Inuit mix. See, he had believed what they had told of “most of the original habitants of both Alaska and Hawaii are still there, and they’re the majority, and have kept their customs”.
A bit later, in 2000, I won a government-sponsored student trip to the east coast, which included 5 days in DC (the worst part of the trip). Most of the adults were from the government, which at that time was very much pro-statehood. The students, high schoolers from 10th to 12th grades, had various political leanings.
During our visit to the US Capitol, it turns out that day for some reason or other they were doing some Hawaiian festivity/celebration, and we got to see traditional Hawaiian dance. The adults, who were pro-statehood, pointed out to us that “see, they kept their language and their culture, we could too if we become a state”. As soon as they turned their backs, I went and told all the students around me that these native Hawaiians were the minority in Hawaii, far from being the majority, and that the Hawaiian language was not widely spoken there.
I repeat, again, they only won if you only count the status options and ignore that most of those who voted in that same ballot did not vote in the second question.
Hence, the total numbers of voters, statehood didn’t even get a half of the votes casted in that ballot.
So I guess nobody’s talking about independence anymore?
Actually I always thought that would have been a bad idea for them, since it presumably would mean the end of their right to settle and work in the United States. As it is they get to maintain their distinct identity and culture and still be able to move to and within the States if they so choose. It’s the best of both worlds.
Still, if they do acquire statehood I don’t think they’ll lose their cultural and linguistic identity.
Now, how will we arrange 51 stars?
Were Puerto Ricans drafted? At any rate, they aren’t drafted now. Joining the US military is voluntary and I think also a path to full citizenship, at which point they sure can vote.
Eh, Puerto Ricans have had US citizenship since 1917, so yes, they were drafted for both WWW, as well as Korea and Viet Nam. What the Puerto Rico territory itself has not had is an electoral college, so that people who live and vote on the island cannot vote for the president or congressmen. We have our local elections, and those who move stateside can immediately register and vote in the federal elections (under the state they reside).
Veterans and military personnel living in Puerto Rico cannot vote for the president who sends them to war.
As it stands now, they can just move to the mainland and vote. And mainlanders can move to PR and vote.
But if they gained independence, they could regulate immigration. If they become a state, they lose sovereignty for most practical purposes, and get to be told they can never be rid of the USA and its dominant culture.
And much of that dominant culture will consider them subhuman mud people, savages with the minds of children, or worse, a potential fifth column of Mexicans. White people can be scarily stupid.
But really, the Commonwealth model is worth revisiting and expanding. Statehood may sound like a step up from being a “possession,” but I think they’d be in more control being more independent, not less.
I’m willing to be proven wrong.
Say, has Obama taken any position on PR statehood?
The Equal Rights Amendment for women failed during the 1970s due to fears of co-ed bathrooms and the like. There are all manner of reasonable objections to admitting the first state where solid majorities speak something other than English as a first language. I seriously doubt whether Puerto Rico will be admitted to statehood any time within the next 30 years.
Personally I have little problem with it, provided it wouldn’t be a distraction. But it would, and an endless source of right-wing drama on top of that. And on the left, this doesn’t look like much of a cause celebre given the fickle nature of Puerto Rican politics. In short, a non-starter.