As I am sure you probably know, the vast majority of the United States is made up of rural communities. And for the most part, those tend to be Republican-leaning. Unfortunately, the opposite tends to be true of urban areas and bigger cities. Suffice it to say that the more densely populated a region, the more liberal-leaning it tends to be.
This also means that in several states, the majority of the state is led by those with values they don’t share.
Take Oregon, for example.
A map of the state’s counties in 2016 proves by far, most Oregon counties are red, with only a small portion showing up blue. But those blue sections hold big cities such as Portland and Eugene. And there, you will find some of the most progressive policies in the nation.
This is the 2016 Oregon Election results by county. It really is just in the cities. So annoying for those of us in the soutg pic.twitter.com/i47tyfOl4C
— The Roguemomma (@Roguemomma1) September 23, 2020
It also means that the state’s seat of power is being liberally led, regardless of how the majority of the state feels.
Naturally, this has led to some severe frustrations on the part of those who don’t lean to the left – severe enough, in fact, that no less than 13 of the state’s more eastern lying counties have officially voted in favor of seceding from Oregon and to become part of their eastern neighbor Idaho.
🚨 THIRTEEN conservative counties in Oregon approve ballot measures for SECESSION vote that would see them join non-woke Idaho – as they issue list of demands
Thirteen fed-up counties in liberal Oregon have voted in support of measures to start negotiations to secede from the… pic.twitter.com/UV6FEOmedM
— The Dibster (@richarddibX) May 22, 2024
If you weren’t aware, Idaho, like many Western but not coastal states, is Republican-leaning and led. As such, they have lower taxes, less crime, less homeless, fewer gun restrictions, and more pro-life.
In contrast, western Oregon cities such as Portland are pretty much drowning in bad decisions. Homelessness is through the roof, taxes are some of the highest in the nation, gun control is definitely a thing, and crime is overwhelming most neighborhoods.
Without a doubt, I know which state I’d prefer to live in. Unfortunately, for eastern Oregonians, that would mean picking up their lives and moving, changing jobs, entering new schools (albeit better ones), and leaving loved ones.
And so, there has been a massive movement in recent years to just move the Oregon/Idaho border westward a bit so that “Greater Idaho,” as the movement is called, would encompass about 14 of Oregon’s most eastern counties, all of which vote red.
Unfortunately, a simple vote by county residents isn’t all that is required for such a move. But the process has started…
