When will Puerto Rico take part in the presidential election?

[Simfan34]

For an example of Lewis said, Puerto Rico has its own Olympic team now. That'd change after statehood of course.

But what does that matter? You and Lewis seem to be insisting that they'd have reservations about statehood despite voting for it. If they valued their independence so much, they would have voted for independence, and that would have been fine. But they voted one way, and there's no use in going on about a minority that goes the other way.

Not everybody in Hawaii is entirely happy with statehood, either.

And how much is "not everybody"? Are the Filipinos and Japanese, the two largest ethnic groups in the state, part of "not everybody? We may take the step of assuming that Native Hawaiians might "want their country back" but the fact is that they constituted barely one in ten of Hawaiians, and chances are most of them enjoy being Americans.

Considering that Puerto Rico made the odd choice of voting for statehood and yet voting for an anti-statehood governor, it's highly improbable that the government would make any formal move to apply. If statehood is to occur, what will probably have to happen is that another referendum will need to be held in 2016 and get a majority, plus a PPP governor will need to be elected, then I think that Puerto Rico can be granted statehood no later than 2020.

[Simfan34]

Actually many Native Hawaiians are for independence.  You have no idea how many times I have been called a "f****n haole" or told to "gtfo and go back to where I came from" by losers with XXXXL "Defend Hawaii" t-shirts.

But what percentage of the population is that? I wish that 4% good luck in expelling the other 90%.

[Simfan34]

For an example of Lewis said, Puerto Rico has its own Olympic team now. That'd change after statehood of course.

But what does that matter? You and Lewis seem to be insisting that they'd have reservations about statehood despite voting for it.

Except they never have.  The referendum was carefully arranged to make it look like they did, but they didn't.  They were asked two questions, the first being, do they want some change in their status and the second being if the status was going to be changed, which status do you want it to be changed to.  Yeah, a majority answered they wanted a change and a majority answered that if there was a change they would want it to be to statehood, but that does not mean that if presented with a straight up and down vote on whether they want statehood or to keep things as they are, that statehood would win.

That is why 2020 is the earliest we'll see Puerto Rico voting in a Presidential election.  There will need to be such a straight up and down vote before Congress will ever consider offering Puerto Rico statehood.  The soonest I see a 51st star being added to the flag is 4 July 2019, after a 2014 straight referendum on statehood, a 2016 election for a convention to draft a state constitution, and a 2018 vote to adopt the constitution.  (And at the same time hold elections for 2 Senators and 5 Representatives who would take office if the constitution were adopted.  Puerto Rico would gain a Class 1 Senate seat which would be elected to a full term in 2018 and a Class 2 Senate seat which would be elected to a two year term in 2018.  Incidentally, if they follow precedent, then in the first election, Puerto Rico will be voting for a Seat A and a Seat B and which is which class would be determined by lot when the new Senators are sworn in.)

I agree with you entirely, and I pretty much said what you have in my prior post. What I'm saying is that the results of these referenda show that the number Puerto Ricans clamouring for independence is virtually negligible and resisting statehood on those grounds is illogical. 

Actually many Native Hawaiians are for independence.  You have no idea how many times I have been called a "f****n haole" or told to "gtfo and go back to where I came from" by losers with XXXXL "Defend Hawaii" t-shirts.

But what percentage of the population is that? I wish that 4% good luck in expelling the other 90%.

I am surprised you are not on the side of the Monarchists in Hawaii, Simfan. I thought you prefered monarchies to republics

I've decided to drop that act. I'm for the preservation and even restoration of monarchies abroad- a fairly reasonable traditionalist viewpoint, I would say- but not an American monarchy, no.