What is the benefit of remaining one country?

[Pappy13]

Is this a serious discussion or does everyone have their tongue planted firmly in their cheek? I don't mean to be sarcastic, but I can't help it. Like we could just split the country up even if we wanted to and like that would solve anything. It's not realistic in the least, so is everyone playing along like it is just for the sake of argument?

[CF DolFan]

I doubt there would be a whole lot of movement.  For all the folks who threatened in 2008 they would leave the country if Obama was elected or in 2016 if Trump very very few actually did.

People don’t move long distances for political reasons, the move for jobs, family, schools or weather.  

I bet there would be. The differences between democrat and republic are huge. If states really did live by the charter of their organizations you'd have no choice. I know many people who have bailed on Orange County and the City of Orlando specifically for how liberal they have become. It's why no Republicans will ever win. I also believe other than the current Governor that Republicans are doomed in this state. More people are moving here than any other state and they are coming from liberal states. It was already basically 50/50.  I'm a 5th generation Florida cracker but we're actually planning to move to Tn in about a year.

[Spider-Dan]

I get that people of both live in both states but if states change people will move. It may take time but it will happen and besides ... there should be plenty of money from the political waste in arguing to "assist" people in relocating.

People in Austin haven't moved as is, and it's not like South Florida could secede with the Confederacy between it and the rest of the US.

[CF DolFan]

People in Austin haven't moved as is, and it's not like South Florida could secede with the Confederacy between it and the rest of the US.

Conservatives have moved out of Austin for the most part. Same as Ashville NC. It's another very liberal town in  a conservative state. It's easier to deal with when we are talking just a city or small area.

As far as South florida ... we aren't talking about being landlocked. We have to travel though Canada to Alaska but it's still part of us.

[Spider-Dan]

Is this a serious discussion or does everyone have their tongue planted firmly in their cheek? I don't mean to be sarcastic, but I can't help it. Like we could just split the country up even if we wanted to and like that would solve anything. It's not realistic in the least, so is everyone playing along like it is just for the sake of argument?

What we are essentially discussing is whether or not secession would be a good idea.  I generally regard such an argument as fundamentally hypocritical and insincere, for one basic reason: the people who argue that after the new realignment, the people who don't like it can just move... have not themselves already moved to a place that aligns with their political preferences.  I mean, if you really believe what you're saying, why haven't you already moved to Singapore (or Denmark, as applicable)?

[Spider-Dan]

Conservatives have moved out of Austin for the most part.

You have it exactly backwards.  Why haven't all the Austin liberals moved out of Texas?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

More people are moving here than any other state and they are coming from liberal states.

The annual migration of senior citizens from the blue states of NY & NJ to the red states of Florida and AZ is not politically driven.  It is weather driven.  Tangentially state income tax could be considered a political issue, but don’t pretend people are leaving Mass for North Carolina because of their aggressive stance against transsexuals.

[MaineDolFan]

This country is on the brink of another civil war, only this time it will be the Left vs the Right.

People love tossing this around.  This isn't 1832 where people carry muskets any longer.  Most medium sized cities have better armed police than your local national guard, unless the guard is infantry or combat unit.  "The people" aren't rising up against anyone, no matter how many AR-15s are floating around. 

As far as "splitting the country" what, exactly, do people suggest?  Right leaning people all head to the east coast and everyone else go west and we just build a fence down through, say, Minnesota to mark it? 

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

People love tossing this around.  This isn't 1832 where people carry muskets any longer.  Most medium sized cities have better armed police than your local national guard, unless the guard is infantry or combat unit.  "The people" aren't rising up against anyone, no matter how many AR-15s are floating around. 

As far as "splitting the country" what, exactly, do people suggest?  Right leaning people all head to the east coast and everyone else go west and we just build a fence down through, say, Minnesota to mark it? 

And the civil war wasn’t individuals picking up muskets.  In the 1800s each army unit was from a particular state.  Todays army is made up of units of people from various states.  The reason why soldiers today don’t stay in the same unit or base for more than a few years is so their loyalty will remain with the USA rather than a particular unit, base or commander.  The only units that this doesn’t apply to is the National Guard.

[CF DolFan]

As far as "splitting the country" what, exactly, do people suggest?  Right leaning people all head to the east coast and everyone else go west and we just build a fence down through, say, Minnesota to mark it? 

No. I'm thinking  a state by state vote based on the split already in this country. you can vote for conservative or liberal ideas and whatever the state votes is what they follow. Liberal states can bring in all the illegals they want and conservative ones can send them out. I'm not saying we need to turn into North and South Korea but more like NC and SC where the tax base is completely different.   b  vAs well ... it would be so much better if I didn't have to have biased CNN propaganda thrown in may face all the time just as I'd expect liberals don't want to see FOX. In all reality it would be my goal to make people like Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow have to find real jobs and not just pump up the base with whatever excites them. If the base is all you have then life should be good.

[Sunstroke]

The reason why soldiers today don’t stay in the same unit or base for more than a few years is so their loyalty will remain with the USA rather than a particular unit, base or commander.  The only units that this doesn’t apply to is the National Guard.

Unless you can pull up something official that states this (which you can't), I'm calling BS on the entire point.

[Dolphster]

  The reason why soldiers today don’t stay in the same unit or base for more than a few years is so their loyalty will remain with the USA rather than a particular unit, base or commander.  The only units that this doesn’t apply to is the National Guard.

Nonsense.  The reason that military personnel PCS every few years is because of the military management mindset that personnel need to remain mobile, well trained, and prepared for career advancement.  It is part of the "up or out" philosophy of the military.  Not saying that I agree or disagree with this approach, but that is the reason that military personnel frequently move.  It has nothing to do with loyalty to the USA rather than a particular unit, base, or commander.  In fact, loyalty to the unit is preached quite frequently and the military encourages it. 

[fyo]

No. I'm thinking  a state by state vote based on the split already in this country. you can vote for conservative or liberal ideas and whatever the state votes is what they follow. Liberal states can bring in all the illegals they want and conservative ones can send them out. I'm not saying we need to turn into North and South Korea but more like NC and SC where the tax base is completely different.   b  vAs well ... it would be so much better if I didn't have to have biased CNN propaganda thrown in may face all the time just as I'd expect liberals don't want to see FOX. In all reality it would be my goal to make people like Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow have to find real jobs and not just pump up the base with whatever excites them. If the base is all you have then life should be good.

See my previous point about politics.

The one thing that is guaranteed to happen in a total-liberal or total-conservative country is a new fracture of the political spectrum, roughly right down the middle with politicians jostling for power. Just look at internal party politics for a window into this and consider how much worse it would be if there were no unifying goal (defeat other party).

The only way you get to the scenario you describe is through fascism or another top-down this-is-what-you-can-believe ideology.

[Spider-Dan]

In all reality it would be my goal to make people like Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow have to find real jobs and not just pump up the base with whatever excites them. If the base is all you have then life should be good.

That is the ultimate irony of all this: even if "successful," it still wouldn't actually work.

Let us suppose that this is somehow implemented.  While the new Confederate States of America would probably still be contiguous, the new Democratic People's Republic of America would have 4 or 5 separate partitions, at least one of which is landlocked and contained within the CSA.  (I'm not counting AK or HI, which are unchanged.) But setting aside this rather significant problem, both nations would quickly develop a familiar problem, as the Mitt Romney-John Kasich conservatives clash with the Donald Trump-Roy Moore conservatives, and the Bernie Sanders-Elizabeth Warren liberals clash with the Joe Biden-Chuck Schumer liberals, leading to calls for a new separation...

[CF DolFan]

That is the ultimate irony of all this: even if "successful," it still wouldn't actually work.

Let us suppose that this is somehow implemented.  While the new Confederate States of America would probably still be contiguous, the new Democratic People's Republic of America would have 4 or 5 separate partitions, at least one of which is landlocked and contained within the CSA.  (I'm not counting AK or HI, which are unchanged.) But setting aside this rather significant problem, both nations would quickly develop a familiar problem, as the Mitt Romney-John Kasich conservatives clash with the Donald Trump-Roy Moore conservatives, and the Bernie Sanders-Elizabeth Warren liberals clash with the Joe Biden-Chuck Schumer liberals, leading to calls for a new separation...

But they are much closer together in ideas and conversations can return. The problem with today's politics is its really Bernie/AOC vs people like Trump. The moderates don't even get the slightest say in anything. It's one extreme or the other so there is no conversations going on. That can't be good for any of us in the long run. Eventually blood is going to get spilled.