The State of Superior

[Free Bird]

Occasionally, people in the UP of Michigan have talked about breaking off and becoming their own state, with "Superior" being the most commonly suggested name. What would be the political ramifications of this?

I know that it would have one Congressman and 3 EVs that would Lean R, but what would be the specifics? Who do you think the three Congressional delegates would be (my only guess is that Bergman would stay on as Congressman or go for one of the Senate seats, considering he actually lives in the UP), and what would Trump's margin have been there?

[The Mikado]

Upper Peninsula of MI as its own state makes very little sense. Giving it to Wisconsin would be a far more reasonable move than having it be by itself.

We don't really need more 3 EV At Large Delegation wonders at the moment.

[Doimper]

Upper Peninsula of MI as its own state makes very little sense. Giving it to Wisconsin would be a far more reasonable move than having it be by itself.

We don't really need more 3 EV At Large Delegation wonders at the moment.

Give it to Illinois. These people should be made to suffer after voting Trump in.

[Xeuma]

Actually, I did some data analysis to see what it would look like. Obama would've carried the state twice but convincing margins, but then it flipped to Trump by almost the same margin.

[Hammy]

Let them be a state on the condition we can get rid of Texas and/or Florida.

[Karpatsky]

Upper Peninsula of MI as its own state makes very little sense. Giving it to Wisconsin would be a far more reasonable move than having it be by itself.

We don't really need more 3 EV At Large Delegation wonders at the moment.

Yeah. Right now the UP is just a consolation prize for MI having embarrassingly failed in their attempt to steal Ohioan territory. Return it to its rightful owners.

[Brittain33]

Tilting our government even further in favor of overrepresenting rural white voters.

[Koharu]

Yeah, I'm not a fan. Culturally and geographically, it would make the most sense for them to join with Wisconsin. IMO, though, Wisconsin would then be the ugliest shaped state.

[Nyvin]

It has a total population of less than 300k, has about 50 miles of interstate highway, and it's economy is pretty much just entitlement payments, a few casinos, and 3 universities.    

If the UP becomes a state before Puerto Rico than this country really is filled with a bunch of racist hicks.

[Free Bird]

Tilting our government even further in favor of overrepresenting rural white voters.

Someone doesn't know the House is a thing...

[emailking]

Yeah, I'm not a fan. Culturally and geographically, it would make the most sense for them to join with Wisconsin. IMO, though, Wisconsin would then be the ugliest shaped state.

I think MD would still have the weirdest shape though.

[Storr]

It would basically be a smaller, colder, non-coal West Virginia. A formerly heavily mining, in this case Iron Ore and Copper, focused area that has been economically declining for decades. The population is declining and the only bright spots are the major universities (though in West Virginia the major population growth is in the exburban Washington panhandle, not at the universities). There is also nature and tourism going for it, with incredible scenery and beautiful outdoor resources. But, that's not nearly enough for a viable state. According to the article linked, the 2016 Census estimate for the UP is only 303,000. https://www.bridgemi.com/quality-life/upper-peninsula-population-plummets-one-familys-struggle-shows-why
My mother is actually from the UP. Literally everyone she was friends with in high school and undergrad (she went to Northern Michigan) moved away. Most to either Wisconsin or Downstate Michigan, since that's where the closest opportunities were located . There just weren't many opportunities available for people her age. Out of the three siblings in the family, only one stayed in the UP. This was in the 70s...if anything things have only gotten worse there.

[DINGO Joe]

Like many rural areas with a history of decline it also functions as the state's prison district as it houses a disproportionate (by far) number of state inmates, in fact prison guard may be one of the biggest professions in the UP--why give that all up?


It does look very scenic though.  Also, the people there call themselves "Yoopers" because I guess the alternative would be U Peeers.  Good call.

Pointless thread on the wrong board.

[Badger]

Tilting our government even further in favor of overrepresenting rural white voters.

Someone doesn't know the House is a thing...

Someone else conveniently forgets the Senate is also a thing

[Gass3268]

It would have made sense probably 100 years ago, not now.

[jimrtex]

What if there were states of Superior,, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario?

Each would include the Lake littoral within 100 miles.

So Superior would include Duluth, Thumder Bay, etc. Michigan would include Chicago, Green Bay, Muskegon. Huron might be the least populated. Erie would include Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Ontario would include Toronto, Hamilton, and Rochester. The US could annex everything south of the St. Lawrence and combine it with Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. In the west go up to 54-40 and add the areas to North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho. Combine Oregon, Washington, and former British Columbia into American Columbia. Restore the three counties to Pennsylvania, along with West Jersey, and and East Jersey to New York, which would be renamed in honor of William of Orange rather than the traitorous James II. NYC would become the Big Orange.

There would remain 50 states.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

It should be part of Wisconsin. Just like Florida west of the Apalachicola River should be part of Alabama. Which would have given Hillary Clinton FL+MI in 2016 and thus the presidency.

[Joe Republic]

Tilting our government even further in favor of overrepresenting rural white voters.

Someone doesn't know the House is a thing...

Someone else conveniently forgets the Senate is also a thing

And also that ‘Superior’ would have a population around half that of Wyoming.

[DINGO Joe]

The map is dated but it shows how the UP kind of functions as Michigan's penal colony



https://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2004/04/05/michigan/


The UP does have two state universities, Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech (because of the mining history), lots of old people and hardly any kids.  Lots of gorgeous county courthouses that were the fashion of the day when many counties had twice the population (or more), but must be super expensive to maintain with such a declining tax base.

Again, the pictures look beautiful, but you wonder who will still be there in 20 years.