Hah...I love how everyone is speaking for me, a Texan, in this thread. :roll:

Come back in a few days and they will utterly characterize you (Texans) and all your habits with precision you won't believe ;)

Ya,all chew backy and carry six shooters...no:06:

:D Ceptin' the wimmen folk, they carry rifles.

Texas isn't seceeding. Governor Rick "Zoolander" Perry is just pandering for the far right vote in his upcoming campaign for governor against Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Before you wingnuts go calling the collapse of the union, you may want to brush up a bit on political theatre as it applies to Texas.

I'm guess'n easier to hid'em up under dem'dar skirts:shucks:

South has cooler songs so you have my sympathy.:D

Dixie to arms!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vPVTqWJd28

I don't even really disagree with you. I'm just saying that, in all fairness, the Democratic legislature is equally, if not more to blame (and even some Republicans), and Obama hasn't really damaged much yet.
Once the economy is asked to actually absorb the effects of the "stimulus", most of which has not yet been implemented, things will really start to fall apart.


Not even the "5 presidents" part? Well, in any case I think you are partially correct about the 3rd party part. Historically, though, when third parties begin to gain influence, the main parties shift paradigms to incorporate them and they disappear. I doubt one will come to power, but they might be able to shift mainline party policy significantly.

That is true, but the nation is still pretty clearly divided along economic-policy lines. It could very well be a case of red states versus blue states, though, as you mention, there will indubitably be cases of localized conflict, whatever happens.

Im one of those that support Huntingtons wiews that it is the cultural differences and boundaries that will result in conflicts. Within US the only clear boundary still goes between the North and South.
California could be defined a Latin culture tough.

Texas v White says that Texas can't secede. I wonder if it will be challenged

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/htm...4_0700_ZO.html

The division lines aren't that clear. Here's the 2008 election map by county, with shades of purple instead of red/blue: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/countymappurpler1024.png

Now try drawing a clear cut line on that map....

Here's the 2004 map, which is very similar: http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/purple_america_2004.gif

For more stuff like that (including the wacky population distorted maps), check out http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/. We're not as divided as some would like to think.

This isnt an Democratic vs Republican issue. There is an distinct culture in the South still, North is more heterogeneous. In historical perspective the Civil War isnt that far, it and the Reconstruction live in the collective memory.

You're right about it not being a dem vs repub issue but the old south is a lot more heterogeneous than you think.

But Illonois politics is so much more interesting.

I wont start to pretend to be an expert over the Atlantic.:D

I understand there are big black and latino communities but are they integrated or separate? From here it looks communities mostly dont mix down there.