Californian progressives tempted to secede warned they'd be depriving US of state's 'laid-back tolerance'

Despite a recent poll that showed a sharp rise in interest among Californians in seceding from the United States, most residents would like the state to remain just that — a state. Still, the movement spearheaded by Yes California is a real thing, and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla last week cleared the way for petitioners to begin collecting the signatures needed to put the initiative on the ballot.

It's official: "Calexit" organizers can now start collecting signatures to get California secession on the ballot https://t.co/k9R5doQaYv

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) January 27, 2017

It might be too early to start popping popcorn, but it looks as though the majority of Californians will be sitting back and watching as progressives argue whether the state would be better off as a sovereign country.

Yes California chairman Marcus Ruiz Evans maintains that, among other things, California is “more liberal, more educated and wealthier than most every other state.” In an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times this weekend, though, Conor Friedersdorf argued that secession would leave California living next door to a country no longer anchored by California’s “laid-back tolerance and easygoing diversity.” Who wants that nightmare just across the border?

they criticized what they call Trump isolationism and to protest they want to isolate themselves

— ???????? ???✝?? (@Pale_rider796) January 29, 2017

TOTALLY SECEDE. I DARE YA. || 'Calexit' would be a disaster for progressive values https://t.co/6M11z9VlBv

— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) January 30, 2017

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Grateful Calvin

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Please!! See how it works out.

— MW_ATL (@MW_ATL) January 30, 2017

https://twitter.com/Julie_Weathers/status/826176727252598786

Friedersdorf did note that secession would deprive the U.S. of all those Democrat voters, though he considered it a downside.

Democrats would lose over 4 million votes in national elections and CA would lose hundreds of billions of federal $

— Samuel Culper 722 (@politiwars) January 30, 2017

https://twitter.com/USA_First_2016/status/826176922858164225

@EWErickson @latimes They might want to find some drinking water before checking out.

— Abradax (@OmegaAbradax) January 30, 2017

It would be Venezuela in a week.

— Robert Rickly (@RobertRickly) January 30, 2017

https://twitter.com/DameBridget/status/825611162062581760