In case you missed it, a proposal to split California into three separate states has made it onto the November ballot:
If a majority of voters who cast ballots agree, a long and contentious process would begin for three separate states to take the place of California, with one primarily centered around Los Angeles and the other two divvying up the counties to the north and south. Completion of the radical plan — far from certain, given its many hurdles at judicial, state and federal levels — would make history.
…
Northern California would consist of 40 counties stretching from Oregon south to Santa Cruz County, then east to Merced and Mariposa counties. Southern California would begin with Madera County in the Central Valley and then wind its way along the existing state’s eastern and southern spine, comprising 12 counties and ultimately curving up the Pacific coast to grab San Diego and Orange counties.
Under the longshot proposal, Los Angeles County would anchor the six counties that retained the name California, a state that would extend northward along the coast to Monterey County. [Silicon Valley venture capitalist and ballot measure sponsor Tim] Draper’s campaign website argues the three states would have reasonably similar household incomes and enough industries to produce their own viable economies.
Not that anyone asked him to, but Lawrence O’Donnell has weighed in on the possible split with his characteristic insight and brilliance:
California is the most underrepresented state in the United States Senate. https://t.co/nn4dQ3omCi
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) June 13, 2018
OK … wait, what?
Thank God. https://t.co/2eEvjQ5cHc
— jon gabriel (@exjon) June 13, 2018
Ha! But seriously. What is O’Donnell’s point, if it’s not to remind us that he’s a colossal dolt?
This is weapons-grade stupid.
— Adam Strange (@Till_Daddy) June 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/ThatGuyinLA/status/1007014674980671488
The dumbest take. https://t.co/QLfy5fS7t4
— Michael Duncan (@MichaelDuncan) June 13, 2018
We’d expect nothing else.
THE SENATE WHAT IS IT FOR https://t.co/01wPe86YKS
— Emily Zanotti (@emzanotti) June 13, 2018
you really don't understand what the senate is, do you?
— Eric, ravaged by time and bad decisions (@truckerE) June 13, 2018
By design. https://t.co/7wEofbiXeV
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) June 13, 2018
It's the most populous state. That's literally how the Senate works.
The tradeoff is that there's about 4.5 million Republicans in California who have no voice in the Senate. https://t.co/LwuklD8KpW
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 13, 2018
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This is such a dumb comment. All states have exactly the same representation in the Senate. When you say "underrepresented," you, of course, mean in terms of population. But that's how the system is supposed to work. Otherwise, a few big states would control the whole country.
— Justin T. Haskins (@JustinTHaskins) June 13, 2018
No. The state of California has the exact same representation in the Senate as every other state. That means it is equally represented.
This is how the Senate was designed to operate. That half of Congress belongs to the states, not the general population. https://t.co/BGgEHqzFpj
— Persnickety (@Dawnsfire) June 13, 2018
Every state has two senators. EVERY STATE.
That's the difference between the SENATE and the House of Representatives where it's apportioned by population.
A 6th grader knows this. Larry doesn't. But a 6th grader does. https://t.co/eOMRJ4BqhR
— Ordy's Amish School of Coding (@OrdyPackard) June 13, 2018
We’ll leave you with this evergreen question:
https://twitter.com/knifefreeuk/status/1007012861716107265
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