# Why do conservative "secede" and progressives "move to Canada"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2016, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175 "2016-11-09T10:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/41 "2016-11-11T20:52:53Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Erm… wasn’t that rather the point of America in the first place? Yes it was. There is a small difference in that we get to vote on changing things around here. Back in 1776 that was not the case, hence the rebellion. I recall that many republicans swore that if Obama got the presidency that they would leave the country. Not many did. I personally know two that did. I know many more that threatened to leave & did not. I expect that not many folks will run to Canada even though they said that they would. I also expect no secession efforts will get very far. Not even the liberals trying to get California to secede from the union. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/42 "2016-11-11T21:46:54Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > Is this even true? I recall talk of seceding after Obama was elected, but I also recall mocking conservatives on Facebook who were talking about emigrating to Australia to avoid living in the USA under Obama. Not only do we have gun control and universal health care, but at the time we had an unmarried, atheist, childless, female prime minister heading up a liberal government. I don’t think this country was the escape they were looking for. > > And I’ve already seen Facebook posts urging California and Hawaii to secede this time. I believe that this has been surpassed since Tuesday but _more Americans researched how to “move to Canada” [after the re-election of U.S. President Barack Obama](http://www.ibtimes.com/americans-mull-moving-canada-following-obama-election-search-engine-traffic-finds-868576) on Tuesday than at any other time since President George W. Bush won a second White House term in 2004._ So I’m not sure I accept the OP’s theory, either. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/43 "2016-11-11T22:00:55Z")
As has been mentioned, premise of the OP is flawed, there’s lots of (empty IMO) talk this time about secession from the left in CA . Otherwise, the US is still one of the most if not most conservative rich countries in most respects, so it’s less logical for conservatives disappointed by its drift to the left (as they perceive it) to talk about moving somewhere even farther left. But for liberals disappointed by conservative victories (though I don’t know if Trump is much of a conservative, but anyway) expatriation or secession both work as escapist fantasies. Expatriation is always the more realistic though, if someone is really serious about it, which some small % of those running their mouths thus perhaps are. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/44 "2016-11-13T23:59:47Z")
I saw an online petition today for Minnesota (which went for Clinton as a little blue island) to secede from the US and join Canada. What does that count as? If Canada would have us, I suppose I’d be OK with it. We’re practically Canada already. We like cold weather and hockey. Tim Hortons already has plans to open here soon. All we’d need to do is rename the Mall of America to Mall of Canada and we’d be all set. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/45 "2016-11-14T20:52:28Z")
> [@Tamex](#): > > I saw an online petition today for Minnesota (which went for Clinton as a little blue island) to secede from the US and join Canada. What does that count as? > > If Canada would have us, I suppose I’d be OK with it. We’re practically Canada already. We like cold weather and hockey. Tim Hortons already has plans to open here soon. All we’d need to do is rename the Mall of America to Mall of Canada and we’d be all set. 🙂 And Al Yankovic could sing about “[The Biggest Ball of Twine in Southern Canada](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKeHQpT5wVE).” ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/46 "2016-11-14T20:57:11Z")
Because each of those groups has members with childish minds in adult bodies. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/47 "2016-11-14T21:09:40Z")
> [@Tamex](#): > > I saw an online petition today for Minnesota (which went for Clinton as a little blue island) to secede from the US and join Canada. What does that count as? Geographically MN is a couple of blue islands in a mostly red state ([cite](https://www.google.com/#q=Minnesota+election+2016+results+map&eob=enn/p/mn/0/0///////////)). I suspect Mpls-St Paul/Duluth would have trouble seceding to Canada. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/48 "2016-11-14T22:56:18Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > You do not find confederate nostalgia in: > > Texas > Oklahoma > Florida > Kansas > Nebraska > Iowa > Alaska > West Virginia > Indiana > Wyoming > Utah > Montana > North Dakota > South Dakota Surprisingly, I see Confederate nostalgia all the time in Illinois. You know, the _Land of Lincoln_. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175/49 "2016-11-14T23:39:09Z")
Because there’s precedence for both. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservative-secede-and-progressives-move-to-canada/771175.md?page=2)