97% of Puerto Ricans vote to become 51st state (Ninety-Seven Percent!)

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

They either need to become a state or become an independent country.

Same for all other US territories.

What about what the people of Puerto Rico want?  When did you decide that?  Why not let them decide, but it seems white liberals know best how the browns should be governed.

Well, we did let them decide today. That's the point.

They didn't want to decide today, clearly.  They will decide at a time and place of their choosing, not when racist whites decide it best suits their political desires.

I didn't set up the plebiscite. The territorial government did.

And the Puerto Rican voters decided they didn't give af.  They've been asked to vote on this every year for the last 20 years but some people just wont drop their wet dream.

Most people don't vote for president. Should we give that up? Hell, only 27% of eligible voters voted for Trump. Does that make him illegitimate?

[Green Line]

They either need to become a state or become an independent country.

Same for all other US territories.

What about what the people of Puerto Rico want?  When did you decide that?  Why not let them decide, but it seems white liberals know best how the browns should be governed.

Well, we did let them decide today. That's the point.

They didn't want to decide today, clearly.  They will decide at a time and place of their choosing, not when racist whites decide it best suits their political desires.

I didn't set up the plebiscite. The territorial government did.

And the Puerto Rican voters decided they didn't give af.  They've been asked to vote on this every year for the last 20 years but some people just wont drop their wet dream.

Most people don't vote for president. Should we give that up? Hell, only 27% of eligible voters voted for Trump. Does that make him illegitimate?

Absolutely.  He should be removed from office.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

They either need to become a state or become an independent country.

Same for all other US territories.

What about what the people of Puerto Rico want?  When did you decide that?  Why not let them decide, but it seems white liberals know best how the browns should be governed.

Well, we did let them decide today. That's the point.

They didn't want to decide today, clearly.  They will decide at a time and place of their choosing, not when racist whites decide it best suits their political desires.

I didn't set up the plebiscite. The territorial government did.

And the Puerto Rican voters decided they didn't give af.  They've been asked to vote on this every year for the last 20 years but some people just wont drop their wet dream.

Most people don't vote for president. Should we give that up? Hell, only 27% of eligible voters voted for Trump. Does that make him illegitimate?

Absolutely.  He should be removed from office.

Obama? Bush? Clinton? Bush I? Reagan?

[Tender Branson]

Thread title is wrong.

Only 22% of Puerto Ricans voted for statehood.

(Turnout was a crappy 23%, of which 97% voted for statehood).

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If Puerto Rico isn't admitted before 2020, they should put a new referendum on the 2020 ballot, and have people elect Senators and Representatives (the latter requiring 5 districts) instead of the delegate and then send them to DC.

[The Mikado]

Here's the thing:

Decision on what does and does not become a state is solely in the hands of the U.S. Congress.

That said, this is Puerto Rico throwing the gauntlet down. Puerto Rico is on the record as saying "We want to become a U.S. state." Congress should absolutely vote on this. If Congress says "no" they absolutely need to explain to the world, including the millions of Puerto Rican-Americans, why they are saying no.

If Congress votes, then they're doing their job. If yes, welcome to the family, Puerto Rico. If no, Congress needs to explain what the hell is wrong with our charming island cousins.

If Congress does not vote at all, then they are abrogating their duty.

[Santander]

97% of referendums like this are done to conduct partisan/sectarian headcounts to further government tyranny.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

97% of referendums like this are done to conduct partisan/sectarian headcounts to further government tyranny.

The cruel tyranny of representation in Congress

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Funny enough their representative to congress, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, is affiliated with the Republicans. She's very pro statehood. Maybe she should lobby congress better.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This should be a priority when Democrats retake Congress.

[The Arizonan]

It's not going to happen quickly. Turtleface and Paul Ryan aren't going to let Puerto Rico become a state.

[politicallefty]

Thread title is wrong.

Only 22% of Puerto Ricans voted for statehood.

(Turnout was a crappy 23%, of which 97% voted for statehood).

Those that support the status quo have played that game for awhile now. They know they can't win outright now, so they play games like boycotting the referendum.

When Democrats get full power back again, they should pass Puerto Rican statehood with haste.

From a purely superficial standpoint, I want to see the 51-star flag fly.

[Doimper]

From a purely superficial standpoint, I want to see the 51-star flag fly.

And we'll have 540 electoral votes, which is a much more aesthetic number than 538. Tough luck for fivethiryeight and 270towin, though

[politicallefty]

From a purely superficial standpoint, I want to see the 51-star flag fly.

And we'll have 540 electoral votes, which is a much more aesthetic number than 538. Tough luck for fivethiryeight and 270towin, though

That's a good point actually. I don't think the House will stay at 435 if Puerto Rico is added. After all, when Congress was considering adding a DC seat in the House, they were proposing a permanent increase to 437. I think it will have to be increased by at least the amount of seats added, which wouldn't be a bad time to add seats to the House. What about 441, 445, or 449 (to keep an odd number for a our two-party system)?

[Sir Mohamed]

It will go nowhere, since the GOP is not committed to it at all. The reason is simply that they’re playing politics, because PR statehood means two more safe Democratic senators. Same with DC. It’s that simple. It’s not about PR’s fiscal condition, as some argue, it’s purely partisan. If the north-east of CA would like to separate, the GOP would support it even with 1% voter turnout in a referendum. Democrats should make it a priority as soon as we have a unified Democratic government again.


Btw, Has Trump reacted yet? He could argue that 97% of Porto Ricans find him so great that they want statehood. LOL

[7,052,770]

It will go nowhere, since the GOP is not committed to it at all. The reason is simply that they’re playing politics, because PR statehood means two more safe Democratic senators. Same with DC. It’s that simple. It’s not about PR’s fiscal condition, as some argue, it’s purely partisan. If the north-east of CA would like to separate, the GOP would support it even with 1% voter turnout in a referendum. Democrats should make it a priority as soon as we have a unified Democratic government again.


Btw, Has Trump reacted yet? He could argue that 97% of Porto Ricans find him so great that they want statehood. LOL

If they promise to send 1 Democrat and 1 Republican to the Senate to the first time, it will be hard for McConnell to say no.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

What, 10 people voted, I think?  Who care.........  50 is plenty.

[Zioneer]

97% of referendums like this are done to conduct partisan/sectarian headcounts to further government tyranny.

Ah yes, the cruel tyranny of wanting taxation with representation.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I presume those opponents of Puerto Rican statehood using turnout statistics to justify their position would also have opposed American nationhood in 1776. After all, it is a historical fact that the independence resolution would have failed had not anti-independence delegates boycotted the vote, and most historians estimate less than 40% of Americans participated in the mass meetings, assemblies, and revolutionary committees that organized the Continental government. Shall we alert the Queen?

Since I have Loyalist ancestors who were on the losing side of the tax revolt, please do alert the Queen.

[justfollowingtheelections]

If Republicans block statehood, Puerto Rico should become an independent nation.  Republicans are racist, liars and hypocrites.

[Adam Griffin]

It didn't even pass the last time they voted.... the YES vote won 54% to change status, but statehood only got 61% of that.  Not like the Bronx GOP whatsoever.  Theres a large anti-statehood group.

You do realize that a vote without so many open-ended possibilities would inevitably result in Puerto Ricans embracing statehood, right? Any vote that is "statehood vs. status quo" or "yes vs. no" is an easily predictable result. Trying to argue that "only a plurality chose the winning option" - especially when there were multiple options that included ballot siloing - is pretty dumb. That is, after all, how the vast majority of electoral processes in the US work (excluding the silos).


Anyway, the next time Democrats have the trifecta, we need to punish Republicans and simultaneously mock their supposed love for small states and the like by forcing through PR as a state...and Guam, and American Samoa, and the Northern Marianas, and USVI. Hell, throw Palmyra Atoll in there for good measure, too.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

It's not going to happen quickly. Turtleface and Paul Ryan aren't going to let Puerto Rico become a state.

GOP will let this happen. It's the Dems who will obstruct Jefferson because it's conservative.