Stop. Just stop.
If you haven’t heard, a number of pro-secession petitions have cropped up on the White House website’s page for public petitions. When I checked earlier today, there were petitions for “peaceful withdrawal” from the U.S. by 20 states. Not all of them went for Mitt Romney last week, or are in the South: There were also petitions for such states as Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Oregon.
It should go without saying that these petitions a) aren’t going to lead to any kind of action and b) aren’t supported by the vast majority of people who voted against President Obama. If you could cross-check the two groups, I suspect there would be a lot of overlap between the petition signers and birthers.
To those who are signing these petitions out of a sense of anger or exasperation or desperation, let me say this:
Maybe you believe all hope is lost now that we’re getting four more years of Obama. There are a lot of possibilities for his second term that I’m not happy about, either. Quite the opposite, as should be clear from pretty much everything I’ve written on this blog.
But the election, while not all that close in terms of the margin in the Electoral College, was rather close to producing a different outcome. By the count of National Review’s Jim Geraghty, Romney fell short by a combined 407,000 votes in four states that, had he won them, could have pushed him to 275 electoral votes and the White House. I point this out not to engage in wishful “what ifs,” just to observe that it was very much possible to have gotten an outcome that would have had the left in a fit of apoplexy instead.
And when the nation is that closely divided, the conclusion in my view is not to decide it actually needs to divide in two. Rather, it’s that it wouldn’t take much next time to earn a more amenable outcome.
To do that, Republicans have to make some necessary but hardly revolutionary changes. But it does not help them do that when there are people signing petitions that confirm the worst stereotypes the left can dredge up about the right. Let’s face it: In light of the need to appeal to a wider swath of the electorate, comparisons to the Civil War do not aid the cause.
So, please: Find another outlet for whatever energy you’re expending on this kind of junk.
NOTE: The comments thread on this post has long since devolved into mostly personal attacks, so I’m shutting it down. A new post will be up soon, and a number of you may be facing some time away from the blog. I’m not sure yet which will happen first.
– By Kyle Wingfield
504 comments Add your comment
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
5:43 pm
md
Allen West will have lost in FL and Obama will have won win the dust settles.
There will be no announcement from the FL governor about massive fraud and that website (wnd?) that is feeding you that information will drop it in a day or two and move on to something else.
But thanks for posting that conspiracy.
nelson
November 12th, 2012
5:43 pm
I certainly would not characterize a petition to seceed as junk. The consitution has an amendment, Freedom of speech our most cherished freedom. That makes the U.S. the envy of all other countries. Why Abraham Lincoln, himself, would want freedom of speech. Why, I read or rather look at all those cartoons in the AJC castigating, denigrating, humiliating one of the finest statesman and businessman and politician in the history of the U.S.,Mitt Romney. I can understand that there are those that feel a bit down over his close loss to Barack.
Let us be objective and clear headed and have a little more objectivity. Why, even as we speak, there are those castigating our great military hero, David Patraeus.
Let us seek the high ground and leave all this terrible muckraking to our misguided bretheren.Amen
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
5:43 pm
“Conservatives who were devastated by the national election results demonstrated how to lose with dignity and grace.”
Too bad the liberals on this blog cannot demonstrate that same dignity and grace in winning.
Kamchak - You cons said Elmer Fudd could defeat Obama, so why didn't you nominate him?
November 12th, 2012
5:45 pm
Michelle Malkin.
Dusty
November 12th, 2012
5:45 pm
AGAIN, Kamchak is back with his ack ack and back ack..
Georgia
November 12th, 2012
5:46 pm
Alert. Save yourself hours of boredom and lots of money and don’t see Skyfall. Cliche. There’s only a third of a script. A whole hour too long. Two, count em, two shoot outs at the ok corral type scenes. Starts out great. there’s only a half hour of a good bond movie. The last hour is torture. Spare yourself the time and the dough. he’s a great bond, but he needs a script.
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
5:48 pm
Too bad several of the conservative couldn’t help themselves by speaking of President Romney and the impending Obama loss to some degree or another……………….
But the whining was expected regardless of what side lost
Hillbilly D
November 12th, 2012
5:49 pm
Why Abraham Lincoln, himself, would want freedom of speech.
The Mayor of Baltimore and the Maryland Legislature of the day might disagree on that.
md
November 12th, 2012
5:50 pm
“and that website (wnd?) that is feeding you that information will drop it in a day or two and move on to something else.”
You do know that you look really silly when you don’t do your homework and then get in front of the class with bogus info….don’t you?
That website I posted from was the actual website and information posted by the St Lucie County Supervisor of Elections…………..
BUT, you may be right about the conspiracy part…….coming from a county website and all……
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
5:51 pm
Haven’t watched a Bond movie since Pierce Brosnan was replaced. Daniel Craig looks too much like a thug and shows little of the sophistication that James Bond should have.
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
5:53 pm
md
You posted those numbers from that site, but that probably wasn’t the website where you first read about the alleged fraud. Maybe not wnd, but there are a host of others posting the same allegations. The site you linked was probably embedded within the initial article you read or based on the info you read you went to the St Lucie goverment or a FL government site to obtain it.
So speaking of silly……………
look in the mirror
Stephenson Billings
November 12th, 2012
5:54 pm
“Why, even as we speak, there are those castigating our great military hero, David Patraeus.”
A high government official having an affair with a young woman is a big deal now?
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
5:55 pm
md
Let me guess, you were just surfing the St Lucie County website and come across that interesting bit of info?
Stephenson Billings
November 12th, 2012
5:55 pm
md @ 5:50 – There are similar results (more votes cast than registered voters) in other counties in FL, particularly ones in Rep. West’s district.
East Cobb RINO, Inc (LLC)
November 12th, 2012
5:56 pm
Well dusty hurt my widdle feelings. Need to fill out one of these…………….
http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/legalfiles/gates_letter_sept09/attach_1.pdf
Actually it is time to go home.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 12th, 2012
5:56 pm
Skyfall was a great movie, unless of course you are an airhead that doesn’t like interesting dialogue in the middle of your mindless bloodbath.
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
5:56 pm
md
But Keep Hope Alive……………..
It could be the next big “story” on Hanitty or even Rush?
Ward Kendall
November 12th, 2012
5:57 pm
It matters not if there is no realistic possibility that these secessionist petitions will accomplish anything. That’s not the point of them, Mr. Wingfield. The point is this: to spit in the face of Obama and the US government. To say to them that every secessionist signer has utter contempt for the United States of America and, as such, would rather not be apart of this vile, immoral nation any longer.
Here’s a link to the CALIFORNIA Secession Vote:
Sign Sovereign WN State Petition
Hold Back This Day
The Towers of Eden
Stephenson Billings
November 12th, 2012
5:58 pm
“Let me guess, you were just surfing the St Lucie County website and come across that interesting bit of info?”
Yea, I mean come on. That info is supposed to be secret…..
Liz
November 12th, 2012
5:58 pm
While you are at, you should ask Michele Bachmann to reflect before opening her mouth to speak. She is constantly embarrassing women from both parties; that’s to say, women in general.
mike
November 12th, 2012
5:59 pm
Many of you on the right simply don’t understand what went wrong. What could possibly have happened to allow someone like Barack Obama to defeat a good and decent candidate like Mitt Romney. This one ad, or so it has been said, put the last nail in Romney’s coffin. Here it is……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLo0Jwj03JU&feature=player_embedded
I invite you to watch the above in its entirety because it is also emblematic of what is wrong with America. It represents, in large part, why we have all of the other fiscal problems we now face.
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
5:59 pm
md
And again, make sure you are this blog’s reporter and be the first to break the “news” when the FL governor makes the big announcement. I highly doubt he will put up with known election fraud in his state.
Fred ™
November 12th, 2012
6:00 pm
I can’t imagine this to be a very popular topic for you Kyle since I would wager that most of your regular right wing fanatical traitorous posters here have signed ALL those petitions……….
Stephenson Billings
November 12th, 2012
6:01 pm
…and it’s not like the Dems would be wondering the same thing if the vote was the other way around….
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
6:02 pm
Glenn Beck and md, as I posted before (when I posted the original link), I had my doubts about the explanation from the elections supervisor’s statement.
There may be a way to set up the ballots as two different cards for counting (her explanation), but it is grossly inefficient and certainly confusing, especially given the results. There is also some question about recounting CERTAIN early votes (not all – what is it with these Democrats who don’t believe in equal protection anyway), but not recounting ALL of them, especially given the huge swing in vote totals as a result.
The story needs to play out further, but there are some interesting cautionary tales out there in OH and FL that needs to be investigated fully.
ChazInAtl
November 12th, 2012
6:03 pm
The extremism of the current Republican “party” is what made me become a Democrat.
Just how much more like the Taliban do they have to become before one of them says,
“What’s wrong with our obstructionist hatred?”
Fred ™
November 12th, 2012
6:04 pm
Ward Kendall
November 12th, 2012
5:57 pm
It matters not if there is no realistic possibility that these secessionist petitions will accomplish anything. That’s not the point of them, Mr. Wingfield. The point is this: to spit in the face of Obama and the US government. To say to them that every secessionist signer has utter contempt for the United States of America and, as such, would rather not be apart of this vile, immoral nation any longer.
+++++++++++++++++
I’ll be more than happy to give you air fare, luggage, help you pack your bags and drive you to the airport if your traitorous ass will just renounce your citizenship, leave and NEVER come back.
We real Americans are tired of you traitors.
jconservative
November 12th, 2012
6:04 pm
Mr. Justice Antonin Scalia on seceding:
“I cannot imagine that such a question could ever reach the Supreme Court. To begin with, the answer is clear. If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. (Hence, in the Pledge of Allegiance, “one Nation, indivisible.”) Secondly, I find it difficult to envision who the parties to this lawsuit might be. Is the State suing the United States for a declaratory judgment? But the United States cannot be sued without its consent, and it has not consented to this sort of suit.”
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
6:05 pm
I see that Mr. Disgustingly Disagreeable ™ has decided to visit here tonight.
Stephenson Billings
November 12th, 2012
6:06 pm
“The extremism of the current Republican “party” is what made me become a Democrat.”
To me “extremism” is in the eye of the beholder….
Fred ™
November 12th, 2012
6:07 pm
Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
6:05 pm
I see that Mr. Disgustingly Disagreeable ™ has decided to visit here tonight.
++++++++++++++
I see that you still can’t provide facts and have to resort to juvenile name calling. It’s all you have.
I’ll be happy to provide YOU with air fare and luggage as well………..
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
6:07 pm
md
ttp://www.slcelections.com/Pdf Docs/2012 General/GEMS SOVC REPORT.pdf
Go look up the difference between the number of “votes” and “cards” that were cast in the FL election.
If you have any intellectual honesty, you will quickly find out that whatever website gave you this “scoop” LIED to you. Probably not the first time they lied to you and surely not the first time you willingly fell for it.
Oh well, guess you will not be needed to report the FL governor’s huge voter fraud announcement.
md
November 12th, 2012
6:08 pm
“You posted those numbers from that site, but that probably wasn’t the website where you first read about the alleged fraud.”
Gee Sherlock, you missed your calling…….of course I rewad it somewhere else first, hence the post I made stating that.
THEN, I did my homework and actually found the County Website…….AND READ THE NUMBERS OFF THE PAGE.
Again, I have no clue why they are what they are, I’m merely pointing out the discrepancy…….but folks like you sure do make it fun to come here……I always get a chuckle from the clueless ones.
Glenn Beck
November 12th, 2012
6:10 pm
“I see that Mr. Disgustingly Disagreeable ™ has decided to visit here tonight.”
yes you are here
Fred ™
November 12th, 2012
6:10 pm
ChazInAtl: They fail to see that. Their response after their ideals were soundly rejected by Americans is to double down on the hate, the lies, and the traitorous utterings.
Although I have to say not even their hate was enough to make me become a Democrat lol. I don’t EVER see that happening…….
Thomas Heyward Jr
November 12th, 2012
6:11 pm
The Vichy 80 were a group of elected French parliamentarians who, on 10 July 1940, voted against the constitutional change that dissolved the Third Republic and established an authoritarian regime now referred to as Vichy France.
.
The Vichy traitors couldn’t have did it……………..without the vichy press………and their mouthpieces.
Fred ™
November 12th, 2012
6:12 pm
Do you people whining about ‘voter fraud” in Florida remember how stupid the Democrats and Al Gore looked when they tried the same crap?
You don’t look any smarter than the hanging chad crowd……..
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 12th, 2012
6:12 pm
very good ad, Mike!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
6:12 pm
“If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. ”
Actually, the war resolved that issue, NOT the Supreme Court and it was certainly NOT settled Constitutionally.
md
November 12th, 2012
6:14 pm
Well Fred……I doubt they would be having to do a recount if the numbers weren’t so screwed up…..correct?
Again, I didn’t make up the numbers…..they are there for all to see…..if one cares to take the time to go see vs just rambling……
Fred ™
November 12th, 2012
6:16 pm
md
November 12th, 2012
6:14 pm
Well Fred……I doubt they would be having to do a recount if the numbers weren’t so screwed up…..correct?
Again, I didn’t make up the numbers…..they are there for all to see…..if one cares to take the time to go see vs just rambling……
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yeah right. Here’s your hat……
http://zapatopi.net/afdb/
RGB
November 12th, 2012
6:18 pm
When the liberati eventually kill the golden goose free enterprise system in this country, they’ll be out en masse protesting (clamoring for “social justice”, which, roughly translated means “government handouts”) and yelling like stuck pigs.
I’m just glad the secular statists are anti-Second Amendment. That’s a good thing.
mike
November 12th, 2012
6:20 pm
I, for one, am “for” the secessionists. Let them form their own United Republican Right Wing Nutcase States of America (URRWNSA). Let them put their nutcase policies in place. Let them deal with the difficulties they encounter with these policies. Let them face the realization the governing is not as simple as it seems to the uneducated, the illiterate, the bigoted, and those filled with hate. Let it be!
Fred ™
November 12th, 2012
6:20 pm
Here’s a great petition for you birthers and other nutcase freaks to sign…….
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/sell-state-texas-mexico-and-use-funds-reduce-debt-add-puerto-rico-new-50th-state/6WWF2gmV
rightwing troll
November 12th, 2012
6:21 pm
Cryberious is extra sad today…
iggy
November 12th, 2012
6:22 pm
I recently seceded from my relationship with my girlfriend and I must say things are looking much brighter.
“No matter how good looking she is there is some guy that is sick of her $#!%”
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
6:23 pm
“I see that you still can’t provide facts and have to resort to juvenile name calling.”
Let’s see . . . From Fred:
His 1st post: “your regular right wing fanatical traitorous posters”
2nd post: “if your traitorous ass” and “you traitors”
4th post: “the hate, the lies, and the traitorous utterings. ”
5th post: “Do you people whining about ‘voter fraud” in Florida remember how stupid the Democrats and Al Gore looked ”
But it’s a good thing I’M the one that’s doing all the insulting and juvenile name-calling . . .
WAW
November 12th, 2012
6:23 pm
I posted this earlier on Galloway’s blog on this subject:
Bit of history: Georgia was not readmitted to Congress of the “One Nation” after losing the War Between the States until June of 1869 but was kicked out in December of the same year. It finally acknowledged reconstruction in July of 1870 and was readmitted again. The United States government has never recognized the right of states to secede, and considers the states to never have left the union during the war. So the President’s answer would be the same today, “You can’t.”
And while you’re thinking about it, what about saying good bye to Kings Bay, Robins, Dobbins, Fort Benning. Also, most of the corporate headquarters located in Georgia, the Braves, Falcons, and Hawks. Finally, try to balance a budget (as the State Constitution requires) with pecans and peanuts (you ain’t got no money).
Aquagirl
November 12th, 2012
6:23 pm
I’m just glad the secular statists are anti-Second Amendment. That’s a good thing.
I’m just glad so many conservative Republicans are anti-sane. Vague mumbling about the 2nd Amendment further marginalizes the GOP and as long as they tolerate this sort of nuttery that’s not a good thing, it’s a GREAT thing.
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Georgians for Educational Excellence
November 12th, 2012
6:24 pm
Petition-filers take “poor losing” to new depths.