The Partisan Divide on Issues

[pbrower2a]

Re-dividing the USA into areas as urban and rural would tear to pieces the state-based political geography of America. To be sure, many of the States are themselves severely polarized. Much of Illinois has little to do with Chicago. Greater Chicago pols  have little to do with the great grain belts of Illinois north of about Interstate 64 or the Appalachian-style mining country to the south of Interstate 64. Then again, the feeling is likely mutual even in a community so close to Chicago as Kankakee. What we have has little sense were we to start over -- with a Constitutional convention that determines everything established in 1787 or in subsequent Amendments anew. We have no idea what would arise. In view of the Tea Party/Trump cult/Qu Qlux Qanon wing of American politics and the fascistic white nationalists, such would be severely ill-timed.

There would be no Constitutional justification, and it is unlikely that state governments would support such.

Federalism relies to no small extent upon the stability of existing borders even if those borders make no current sense. Jonesville, Virginia is closer to the state capitals of Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana than to Richmond. Dalhart, Texas is closer to the state capitals of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and even Nebraska than to Austin.

Just think of how messy things would be today if the entirety of Michigan Territory were admitted as one state:



The territorial capital was Detroit, which was then where most of the population was. I don't have exact figures, but parts of its territory were closer to state capitals of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and even Arkansas (among states now in existence). I need not mention the future state capitals of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota  (OK, Ironwood is closer to the state capitals of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa -- maybe even Illinois). Michigan pols weren't as sure of themselves as were the founders of the states of Texas and California.

Michigan's contemporary pols knew that they could not administer land as far from Detroit as what are now Bismarck, Pierre  -- even Green Bay, which does not even account for the much-more distinguished record of the Green Bay Packers than of the usually-hapless Detroit Cocker Spaniels football team.

Joke about the Detroit Cocker Spaniels Football Team:

Leonid Brezhnev, Richard Nixon, and William Clay Ford (then the owner of the Detroit Lions) all got to ask one question to God about the future. Brezhnev asked first:

"Will the Soviet Union remain in existence forever?"

"No, but it will not end in your lifetime", said the Almighty. 

Then Nixon asked "is the United States eternal?"

"No", responded the Creator, "but it will remain past the lifetimes of your great-grandchildren".

Next was the turn of William Clay Ford. who asked "Will the Detroit Lions ever make the Super Bowl?"

The Oldest of the Holy Trinity answered, "Yes -- but not in My Lifetime!!"