DC Primary

[Gustaf]

I would be willing to let DC have voting representation on matters that dealt with DC's budget, but not national policy.  compromise of sorts.

It seems unfair that a group of voters should not be allowed to have a say in politics, b/c they happen to live in the wrong place. It doesn't make much sense to me.

[Gustaf]

As a local boy, some insights:
I live in MD about 10 minute drive from DC.  Outside of federal areas, DC is an absolute hole.  In my opinion, it must demonstrate an ability to do something, anything, with success before we go handing it more rights, etc.
Ehrlich has been quite a pleasant surprise here in MD (if you are a Republican, that is).  For all of my political life, the entire state of Maryland has been beholdent politically to the extremely liberal Montgomery and Prince George's counties (making up the northern borders of DC) as well as Baltimore City.  I was shocked when Ehrlich won, as I returned home from the polls that evening thinking I had wasted my time.  Even with a Rep governor, I thought he would have an impossible time with all of the Dems in the state gov.  Much of his agenda was shot down in his 1st year, however, recent opinion polls done after his 1st year in office show that he is very popular among Marylanders.  So, I guess there is hope.

Why does a state show an ability to do something to get representation? I don't get what you mean. What has North Dakota ever done? (It might be a bad example, but I'm sure you can think of a state which does not contribute with much of anything. I, being a foreigner, would have a harder time picking such a state, but there you go)

[Gustaf]

The only way to make it happen is going to be with a compromise.  I dunno, maybe Guam or the Northern Marianna Islands could become a state in exchange for DC? (Both have GOP Governors)  Or Puerto Rico if we could get the PNP to totally federate with us rather than being split between national Republicans and national Democrats.

If we're going to be honest here, let's face it - this issue has nothing to do with giving people representation, its about politics.  Democrats want a free uncompetitive two seats in the Senate and voting seat in the House and we don't want you to have two uncompetitive free seats in the Senate and voting seat in the House.  If all Americans deserve equal  representation, then all people who are under American control should be encompassed by a state, so we would have to have the State of Guam, the State of NMI, the State of the Johnston Atoll, etc.

Jravnsbo, I appreciate your honesty. At least you admit that you don't support DC statehood because it would be bad politically for the GOP. That's more honest than trying to make up some BS reason for why DC shouldn't get equal representation, since there are no other logical reasons to deny them representation in Congress.

However, you are correct that it won't happen anytime soon unless there starts to be a national demand for action, since the Republicans in Congress would oppose it.

If DC gets representation, then why not Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Guam, American Somoa... where does it end?

I think a stronger case could be made for DC than for Puerto Rico, etc, b/c DC is inhabited by Americans and is a part of mainland America. What are the current rules of Puerto Rico, etc. are they counted as part of a state, or are they completely without representation as well?