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Multiple referendums in the last decade where Puerto Ricans voted for statehood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Puerto_Rican_status_referendum https://en.w

Multiple referendums in the last decade where Puerto Ricans voted for statehood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Puerto_Rican_status_referendum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Puerto_Rican_status_refer... US government's rejecting Puerto Rico's statehood

colinmhayes 4y ago
a third of the votes in the 2012 were blank in protest. Can not say that that vote proved anything at all. The 2020 vote seems definitive enough though, although it was quite close.
- WorldMaker 4y ago
  Even as a protest vote an intentional abstention still supports the majority. (At least according to Robert's Rules. Which I know isn't directly applicable to referendums such as this but is still a useful interpretative lens.)
  - colinmhayes 4y ago
    Well the abstainers were explicitly against being a state so I don’t think it makes sense to just put them with the majority.
    - WorldMaker 4y ago
      The abstainers weren't being explicit about that in the vote itself. They left an implicit vote so it could be (and was!) interpreted however one liked. That said, most of my awareness is Wikipedia and second-hand account, but I heard most of the abstainers weren't protesting "against statehood" but against the meaningless nature of the vote itself because it was non-binding to anyone, its results weren't going to be used to do anything (and indeed did not ultimately matter other than a couple of wishy-washy President Obama words but no actions). I'm probably wrong on that interpretation, too, but the two votes after the 2012 vote seem to align with that: there is a desire for statehood over alternatives, but that there also seems to a feeling of neglect that they can vote all they want and Congress itself has yet to certify the votes or to make the necessary movements towards an actual, binding vote.
hedora 4y ago
Yeah; the democrats said this would be a priority under Biden (giving them two free senate seats!), but haven't moved on it. I suspect Manchin and pals want to make sure we continue to be ruled by a minority of the voters.
- lupire 4y ago
  Manchin is in the Democratic caucus. Even if you think he generally votes R, he gives the Democrats a majority for rules issues and committees, making him far more D friendly than any R.

colinmhayes 4y ago

a third of the votes in the 2012 were blank in protest. Can not say that that vote proved anything at all. The 2020 vote seems definitive enough though, although it was quite close.

WorldMaker 4y ago
Even as a protest vote an intentional abstention still supports the majority. (At least according to Robert's Rules. Which I know isn't directly applicable to referendums such as this but is still a useful interpretative lens.)
- colinmhayes 4y ago
  Well the abstainers were explicitly against being a state so I don’t think it makes sense to just put them with the majority.
  - WorldMaker 4y ago
    The abstainers weren't being explicit about that in the vote itself. They left an implicit vote so it could be (and was!) interpreted however one liked. That said, most of my awareness is Wikipedia and second-hand account, but I heard most of the abstainers weren't protesting "against statehood" but against the meaningless nature of the vote itself because it was non-binding to anyone, its results weren't going to be used to do anything (and indeed did not ultimately matter other than a couple of wishy-washy President Obama words but no actions). I'm probably wrong on that interpretation, too, but the two votes after the 2012 vote seem to align with that: there is a desire for statehood over alternatives, but that there also seems to a feeling of neglect that they can vote all they want and Congress itself has yet to certify the votes or to make the necessary movements towards an actual, binding vote.

hedora 4y ago

Yeah; the democrats said this would be a priority under Biden (giving them two free senate seats!), but haven't moved on it. I suspect Manchin and pals want to make sure we continue to be ruled by a minority of the voters.

lupire 4y ago
Manchin is in the Democratic caucus. Even if you think he generally votes R, he gives the Democrats a majority for rules issues and committees, making him far more D friendly than any R.