Reader Posts
« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
On the Marianas, Guam, Puerto Rico, et al
Given the current controversy over forced abortions in the Mariana Islands due to its lack of statehood, the fact that Obama has opened the first campaign office in Guam, and both candidates are courting voters in Puerto Rico while skirting a certain issue (which this blog is addressing), I thought it would be a good time to ask what should be done with the territories of the United States?
Before answering, please consider that Puerto Rico is 27th among all the states and territories by population, between Kentucky and Oregon, while Guam, the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa
don't even add up to the population of Wyoming.
I prefer having Puerto Rico choose between statehood and independence, and have the other territories choose between independence and incorporation into the nearest state (which seem to be the most popular options in those areas, as they know how small they are). For the Atlantic territories besides Puerto Rico, we should probably wait for Puerto Rico to choose, as that would be the closest state if it voted for statehood.
Comments (4)
Puerto Rico together with the US Virgin Islands as a state is a good idea.
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands is too far away to be part of some other state, even Hawaii is a fifth of the world away. It should probably be a state too called Mariana, capital Guam.
May 2, 2008 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
But, but... do they even speak Spanish in the Virgin Islands??
May 2, 2008 9:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
After Oregon, Senator Obama will have a majority of all the pledged delegates there are going to be.
Puerto Rico will still vote, and their opinions will still be respected, but they will not change that outcome. That is the way it has been in Kentucky every year I have lived here except this one. That is the way it has always been for late voting jurisdictions.
Superdelegates who say they are waiting on pledged will have a no-wiggle-room at all answer on May 20.
Superdelegates who want to be sure they don't override pledged already know what pledged are going to do.
May 2, 2008 9:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to the New York [i]Times[/i], they are quite competitive there, especially in hunting for endorsements while simultaneously keeping up a balancing act between supporters of statehood, independence, and the status quo.
It's really quite interesting.
May 3, 2008 12:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment