“I hold that tens of thousands, who are now barely holding on at the East, might thus place themselves on the high road to competence and ultimate independence at the West.” That was the sentiment of the popular editor of the New York Tribune, Horace Greeley. But that mindset and robust advice has changed direction over the past 200 years, and freedom-loving folks in Oregon are heading east. Well, a few hours east to Idaho at least, if they have their way.
The Greater Idaho movement now has 11 of the requested 19 Eastern Oregon counties ready to redraw state lines. And the fifth election cycle in a row with gains has finally convinced two state governments that this is not just a phase. Now all they have to do is create an interstate compact between the two legislatures and then get the approval of Congress.
My Own Private Idaho
The idea has been stewing for years as the Oregon coastal elites have allowed for riots, arson at federal buildings, and months of mayhem attempting to stay woke. People that work in rural areas feel they have no voice anymore and are advertising for a marriage made with conservative roots. California? No. Washington state? Worse. Nevada: Optics are terrible. That would create a state perpetually flipping the bird to everyone else. And that left them heading underground like “a wild and free potato,” at least that’s what the B-52s suggested. Idaho looked to be Nirvana.
Some felt the idea to be absurd. But the people behind the political movement say it’s just a plan to update a very outdated boundary. America has changed a few state lines here and there for good measure. For example, the Greater Idaho homepage states: “The Oregon/Idaho border was established 163 years ago and is now outdated. The Oregon/Washington border was updated in 1958. It’s time to move other borders.”
“We call on the Legislature to let each half of the state go their separate ways in peace. If western Oregon doesn’t like the risk of being forced to accept the gubernatorial candidate it voted against, then it should simply stop holding our counties captive in this unhappy marriage,” said Mike McCarter, Greater Idaho spokesperson. He continued, “Actually, it’s not even as dramatic as a divorce because we’re not breaking up a family. Moving a state border is similar to redistricting a utility provider.”
Liberty Nation’s political columnist, Joe Schaeffer, first caught the whiff of secession in 2020 and reported:
“Whether or not a Super Spud State ever materializes, the forces driving it will continue to grow as the cultural divide deepens in America. From hot-button political issues to fundamental matters such as the definition of family and the basic rights of citizenship, the progressive-traditional American chasm is rapidly proving to be unbridgeable.”
Who living in the rural areas of Oregon wouldn’t want to be emancipated from the radical liberal left? And Idaho could quickly adapt to another 386,000 Oregon refugees.
(Photo by Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Auld Lang Syne
Idaho really does resemble the American promised land: It’s the state with the eighth smallest tax burden, while Oregon ranks 33rd on the same list. The cost of living is meager, unemployment is barely measurable, crime is punished, and Antifa and BLM are terrified of rural areas. That’s a plus. Also, Idaho manages its forestry and mitigates the out-of-control types of wildfires that destroy millions of acres of private property in the Pacific Northwest every year.
But what’s in it for Oregon? They can wallow in the political climate of their own making, retain massive governance power, implement any green thing that catches their eye, and watch federal buildings burn in downtown Portland.
An off-year election in 2023 can move the needle closer to a Greater Idaho success: Wallowa County votes in May. Then, perhaps a bi-state referendum comes to fruition. And as the Oregon coastal elites might say, as they wave from their high-rises, “We hate to see you go but love to watch you leave.”
