Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

If at first you don't secede ...

Is it a symptom of fractiousness plaguing the nation? Evidence of rugged individualism by American patriots? Or a problem with people clueless about the Internet?

A poll worker, right, goes over a sample ballot with a voter, that is plastered over a mural of President Barack Obama in the voting area of polling place # 3518 at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. A mural of President Barack Obama had to be covered in the school cafeteria after Republicans got a judge to issue an order that it must be covered so voters could not see the President's image as they waited to vote. (Michael Bryant/Staff)
A poll worker, right, goes over a sample ballot with a voter, that is plastered over a mural of President Barack Obama in the voting area of polling place # 3518 at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. A mural of President Barack Obama had to be covered in the school cafeteria after Republicans got a judge to issue an order that it must be covered so voters could not see the President's image as they waited to vote. (Michael Bryant/Staff)Read more

Is it a symptom of fractiousness plaguing the nation? Evidence of rugged individualism by American patriots? Or a problem with people clueless about the Internet?

Since the election, a bunch of malcontents (not that many, really) have filed petitions through a White House website with an ominous request. They want Obama to allow their states to secede from the Union.

Not that the president has the power to make that happen.

But that's not the problem. It's the number of petitions filed on behalf of individual states.

Let's say the Obama administration could grant independence (which, again, it can't).

To be considered, each petition needs to be "signed" by a minimum of 25,000 citizens.

But in their haste to break away, a bunch (not that many, really) of the petitioners have ignored petitions previously filed by like-minded sore-losers, er, confederates.

There's a saying that goes, "The more we pull together, the faster the work gets done."

Tell that to Virginia. Citizens in the state, which the GOP saw unexpectedly turn blue on Nov. 7, have filed not one, but three petitions which have received 2,112 3,221 and 3,603 signatures. Same scenario in the Show Me State: Missouri filed three collecting 953; 12,398; and 16,806.

Solidly red Georgia also filed a triple plea, but one of those Peach State petitions has reached 27,942 rendering the other two moot.

Texas, that mighty republic on the Mexican border, seems eager to secede with over 100,000. Some wags have suggested an independent Texas might be a good for everyone. For several reasons. See more here and here. (Then again, do we really want a 'narco state' so close to Oklahoma?)

But even in Texas there is dissent directed at the dissentors. A petition to have Austin, the state capital, secede from Texas and remain with the Union is polling 4,893.

As of about 3 p.m. Wednesday, here are the tallies on each of the White House secession petitions:

Alabama: 26,998 and 27,033

Alaska: 701 and 6,485

Alabama: 26,998 and 27033

Arkansas: 19,613

Arizona: 18,695

California 11,143

Colorado: 18,682

Connecticut: 390

Delaware: 6,599

Florida: 29,594

Georgia: 5,718; 27,942 and 11,226

Hawaii: 1,145

Idaho: 4,124

Illinois: 3,593

Indiana: 17,726

Kansas, 6,684

Kentucky: 16,058

Louisiana: 33,479

Maine: 2,072

Maryland: 171

Massachusetts: 1,084

Michigan: 16,696 and 15,846

Minnesota: 3435

Missouri: 953; 16,806 and 12,398

Montana: 11,763

Nebraska: 5,592

Nevada: 8,698

New Hampshire 3885

New Jersey: 12,345

New Mexico 3115

New York: 6,948 and 13,307

North Carolina: 617 and 26,361

North Dakota: 10,275

Ohio: 6827 and 9516

Oklahoma: 7815 and 15,627

Oregon: 12,840

Pennsylvania: 6,767 and 11,156

South Carolina: 20,457 and 13,502

South Dakota: 5077

Tennessee: 27,018

Texas: 99,471

Utah: 5,183 and 6,870

Virginia: 2,112; 3,221; and 3,603

Washington: 196 and 1,915

West Virginia: 5,895

Wisconsin: 4,728

Wyoming: 7,320