South Dakota has a population 50% larger than Wyoming.
Wyoming ranks 50th in population among the states (51st if you consider DC a state for the sake of argument). On top of that, Wyoming ranks 10th in size.
That’s a population density of about five people per square mile, and while Alaska technically is less dense than Wyoming, large portions of Alaska are uninhabitable.
My money is still on Wyoming as the easiest state to take over.
The Dakotas are draining population steadily, & the demographic shift will fix that.
And desire to reverse the shift will make locals reluctant to act against our newcomers…until it’s too late to stop us!! BWA-HA-HA-HAAAA!
My search-fu is lacking, but I think that Mark Morford had a columnn about moving into S. Dakota and taking over. Something about how you only need to be a part-time resident to register there, so just take a motorhome trip across the country, stop in the Black Hills for a couple weeks, and send in your absentee ballot.
Alright, Bosda, I’m on my way… 
Wyoming resident checking in - if anyone wants to move to Wyoming, the chances of getting a job are excellent. Last time I checked, the state-wide unemployment rate is closer to 3% than to 4%, and some communities are closer to 2%. RIght now, due to the energy boom, I know high school drop outs with some experience making 6 figures. Gillette and Rock Springs Wyoming are sending reps to the rust belt to try to get laid off factory workers to come and fill jobs.
Finding housing on the other hand . . .
A state-wide open container statute was passed at the legislative session this year and went into effect 6 days ago.
Interesting. I used to fight over “who gets the mescal worm” with a guy who is now in the legislature… I’ll have to see how he voted.
This basic scheme was behind the “bleeding Kansas” debacle in the mid-1850s. In an attempt at compromise, it was agreed that the settlers of the Kansas territory would decide by “popular sovereignty” whether they would join the Union as a free state or a slave state.
Predictably, pro- and antislavery groups from all over began shipping people into Kansas in order to control the majority. Two competing governments were formed in the territory and a mini-civil war broke out. The town of Lawrence was sacked, John Brown and some of his friends hacked some proslavery people to death with broadswords, and chaos reigned.
This has been your U.S. History lesson for today. 
Longtime Wyoming resident chiming in with a link to an article concerning the latest unemployment figures:
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/07/26/news/wyoming/70-rate.txt
It was 3.3% statewide in June, and 2.5% where I am.
Wyoming is very Libertarian. I think they vote Republican because that’s the national party which has more in common with Libertarianism and the Republican party has much more influence on the national level and especially in Washington than does the Libertarian party.
Lack of housing is indeed the problem with the economic boom. I know one guy earning $30/hr who lives in a a 14-foot travel trailer and another getting $25/hr who lives in a pop-up camper. Even that isn’t as easy as you might think. Campsites are hard to find. Also there are strict regulations concerning how long one can camp in the National Forests.
man, I’d hate to be living in a pop-up camper in places like Gillette, Evanston, Sand Draw, or, well, most of the non-forested parts of the state for that matter… I’d think a pop-up would topple over from the wind.
Of course, as the old joke goes there, it’s not that Wyoming blows, it’s that Nebraska sucks. 
The company I worked for there in the early 80’s was a national home builder which built housing developments all over Wyoming… and got stuck with a lot of useless plots of land when everything went bust. I note from their web site that they have not returned, even with the market being as you describe.
Ok, folks, a little common sense, please. I didn’t mean to impugn Wyoming’s economic status, per se. Great, unemployment is low, yadda yadda.
My point was that, if sufficient numbers of people moved into the state to “capture” the state politically, it would be doubtful that Wyoming could support that economically. Contrary to the assertion by Chronos, given that almost everyone votes for one of the two big parties, you’d have to bring enough people into the state to be able to outvote any possible candidate from either party. It wouldn’t be enough just to be able to beat two someones who would otherwise split the vote, because it’s likely that one of the parties (in Wyoming, my bet would be on the Republicans) would put up a candidate who would normally be able to take 65% of the vote or more. That’s what you’d have to beat.
Adding THAT many people to any state’s economy without some serious unemployment would be tough. For a state like Wyoming which has few industries available to employ people (basically, mining/gas and tourism), it would be most likely impossible. Which begets my statement: good luck finding jobs.
Alternatively, you could join the movement to take over South Carolina, turn it into a Christian state, and secede from the Union (because the last time they tried that worked out so well for everyone :rolleyes: )
Home Page for Christian Exodus
Link to their
Alternatively, you could join the movement to take over South Carolina, turn it into a Christian state, and secede from the Union (because the last time South Carolina tried that worked out so well for everyone :rolleyes: )
Their Home Page sets out their general plan: Christian Exodus
Link to their Plan of Action.
Bugger! I"ve said for years that the “Submit” and “Preview” buttons are too close together.
I will go and turn myself in for double-posting. I hope the mods will be lenient.
Having lived in a state like North Dakota, and being familiar with Wyoming, people undersestimate the value of these “$10.00 fast food jobs.” The cost of living is in reality high. For instance, even routine medical procedures in a town like Fargo had people going to the Twin Cities or waiting several months. Wyoming had a population boom in the 80s and it fell apart when oil prices fell. Wyoming has no base to encourage large metro areas and people seeking that will go to Denver and Salt Lake and just stay there. Cheyanne the largest city has only 50,000 and Casper the former largest city is around 49,000. Cheyanne’s best bet for growth is now that Denver suburbs are creeping north.
Places like Jackson Hole have tons of jobs, but face the same problem as the Florida Keys, no one can afford to live in the town. You have people commuting 50 miles one way to Jackson Hole to get to work in a hotel and that gas and maintenance on a car eats up the smaller extra pay you get. It’s cheaper to live in Denver with a dollar or so less an hour.
Getting back to the OP it might be interesting to compare the idea to the Mormans who probably have become the most successful at dominating a state by a group. I believe Utah is still about 60% Morman.
I passed through Wyoming last year. Food was same as in Michigan; hotel was the cheapest during my trip, and gasoline seemed about normal. Maybe SE Michigan is high-priced and so I didn’t notice the difference ;).
Wyoming has been recruiting pretty strongly in Michigan, as we have a lot of unemployed, highly-skilled workers. I think our unemployment rate’s got to be around 7-8% these days.