Posted on 11/05/2004 6:46:44 PM PST by GaryL
They campaigned tirelessly, wrote huge cheques and threatened to leave the country if George W Bush retained the White House.
This week the gloom and dejection on America's "blue" coasts was palpable, as many Left-leaning Californians and New Yorkers weighed up the prospect of another four years of Republican rule.
In the country's political language, "blue" states are those won by Democrats and "red" states are Republican.
Colour-coded result maps showed coastal fringes of blue with a vast slab of red in between, as Republicans romped home in the south and mid-west, thanks in no small measure to evangelical Christians.
Gleeful Right-wing commentators are calling on the actor Alec Baldwin, who said he would leave if Mr Bush won the 2000 election, to make good on his promise now that Mr Bush has an uncontested victory. "This time there's no ambiguity to take refuge in," one said.
Unsurprisingly, few coastal dwellers who pledged to move abroad were actually packing their bags. But the quandary they face is acute. As one Californian put it: "Last time [when Democrats won the popular vote] was OK because we could feel righteous in our indignation. But this time, we really are the minority."
Instead, many have been counselling one another and focusing on the question of what kind of candidate could secure a Democratic win? A celebrity, perhaps, à la Reagan or Schwarzenegger? Activists scouring the Hollywood A-list singled out Tom Hanks.
Meanwhile, a humorous reworking of America's boundaries flew about the internet. It shows Democrat-voting coastal areas tied into a "United States of Canada" and the remaining "red" centre renamed "Jesusland".
"I don't feel like a member of society any more, I'm completely detached from the rest of the country," said Chris Jackson, 36, music director for the E! entertainment network in Los Angeles.
"If it wasn't for my new job and my girlfriend, I'd leave right now. I had made plans, even talked to a Canadian friend about possibly marrying to get citizenship. Can California, the rest of the west coast and New York secede?"
In Hollywood, the post-election depression has been particularly severe. During his campaign, Senator John Kerry called on a star-studded cast including Bruce Springsteen, whose blue-collar credentials gave the campaign a significant boost.
But Martin Grove, a columnist on the Hollywood Reporter, said the "media giants who own Hollywood" were quite satisfied.
The "real story" was of the two losers: Mr Kerry and Michael Moore, the anti-Bush film director whose Fahrenheit 9/11 lambasted the president.
"Moore campaigned vigorously with a 60-city tour of key states. This is a major defeat for him."
I'm particluarly interested in this topic as I think sentiment and even a movement for succession by the Blue State Alliance from the Red State Alliance is a dinstinct possibility over the next ten years or so. The liberals are desperate and there's no telling how it may all play out.
I posted a vanity article on this very topic a couple of weeks ago that drew a lot of animated responce. (Here's the link in case your interest is piqued: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/1247347/posts)
I'm also starting a "Succession Talk" ping list. Please indicate if you'd like to be on it.
I was making a list of everything we have in the Red States and it hit me -- why do we need the Blue States? We could sell our oil and gas to the Red States and make a ton of money! Where do they (blue states) think most of the rawa products for their food the eat comes from?
I would not miss them.
Bye bye!
.
Put me on your ping list please. I've been thinking this may be in the works myself.
"I'm also starting a "Succession Talk" ping list."
It's "secede", related to the word "cede".
I think you mean secede.
I suggest that the idiot liberals first learn the difference between "succession" and "secession." Succeed (something liberals never do) and secede (something I hope liberals will do) are two different words.
Can California, the rest of the west coast and New York secede?
Most of the counties of those states are red.
Oops! Thanks for the correction.
Pretty much. Interesting that we have some of the same political differences now as then.
I'm thinking those succession minded folks from the blue coasts need to not only be defeated, but have bags packed and be shipped (at their cost) to the socialist nation of their choice.
Laurence O'Donnell also mentioned it on McLaughlin. He then mentioned about blue states paying the taxes that go to red states. Funny, I thought liberals were for income redistribution.
Meek, please post that Bush COUNTY map here.
I think it's needed.
CA is red in few counties,
albeit, Northern CA is a lost
cause, always hoped it would
fall into the Pacific.
Maybe the Blue States will revive that old South Carolina slogan, still seen from time to time on pickup truck back windows, right next to the Stars and Bars: "If at first you don't secede, try, try again!"
We keep the land. Let them leave.
Find a better country!
It is time for all good Democrats to KEEP THEIR WORD and leave. Daily flights from all US cities to Europe, Canada, Asia and the Mideast. Due to Republican deregulation, airfares are cheap. Leave now and avoid the holiday rush.
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