Countdown's WTF Moment: Texas Secession (VIDEO)

In tonight's installment of Countdown's "WTF Moment," Olbermann takes a realistic look at what would happen if Texas actually followed through on Governor Rick Perry's threat to secede if the federal government doesn't leave Texas alone. Well, between skyrocketing taxes, loss of military protection, sports teams crumbling, massive debt burdens, and the coming political crisis in 2020 (when the projected population of Texas will be 45 percent Hispanic and 38 percent Anglo, and the Hispanics win a ballot initiative to have the new republic join Mexico), the picture doesn't look good.

[WATCH]

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Comments

[MarsAmbassador]

Number of counties by state in the 100 poorest counties: Texas, 17; Kentucky, 16; Mississippi, 14; South Dakota, 10; Louisiana, 5; Alabama, 4; Georgia, 4; Montana, 4; New Mexico, 4; North Dakota, 3; Arizona, 2; Idaho, 2; Nebraska, 2; Tennessee, 2; West Virginia, 2; Alaska, 1; Arkansas, 1; Colorado, 1; Florida, 1; Missouri, 1; Oklahoma, 1; South Carolina, 1; Utah, 1; Wisconsin, 1.

(Twenty-six states do not have any counties in the 100 poorest counties.)

These are all Republican states, with the exception of Colorado and New Mexico, which just turned Democrat this election cycle.

[drjoann]

You do realize that TX has 254 counties so 17 counties is less that 7% of the total. The population in those counties accounts for about 5% of the population of TX, and they are almost exclusively clustered along the Rio Grande. My guess is that those are the bluest counties (with the exception of Travis county where Austin is) in the state.

[PVHurt420]

Other blue county is Bexar in San Antonio TX, we just need to get rid of Susan Reid!

[chaselv413]

I continue to wonder why people in those regions vote Republican each election. Look at where their education and health spending is...very near the bottom in each state.

[PVHurt420]

Some of the people in TX that are Republicans are born into it or are extremely religious. They will vote along the lines of their bible and have to be pursuaded not to listen to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. Believe me, I'm trying to convert my in-laws, and it's not working cause they're Red & Baptist, through & through. . . . .:(

[cbat]

They continue to vote repulbican despite being poor, uneducated and poor healthcare because they are idiots. Fear and hatred work good on these type of people, I know I am from Texas. Show me a man who votes against his own interest and I will show you a fool.

[Texas bunny]

Because everyone knows that Mexican/Hispanics are a bunch of staunch Catholics and big time conservatives. That's how they are in Mexico, which is why their damn government can get away with keeping the average citizen down. Keep them praying in church and keep em dumb...that's how they control the average citizen in Mexico. Now what was it Karl Marx said, about religion as the opium of the masses. So there you go, as long as they vote as the church commands, this state (unfortunately), will remain GOP controlled.

And as for Texas seceding, honestly, do you think the average hardworking Texan is gonna stand by and let it happen?

[PVHurt420]

Keith totally left out all of us lefties and independents. F*#@ Rick Perry, he can't speak for all Texans! Just google 'Austin & Reggae Fest', lol. We don't want to leave the U.S., please help us kick out these Republicans from our state & make it blue in 2012!!

[Artos]

We'd surely like to help ya'll but where could we send em. Mexico won't want em, since they wouldn't trust em not to try to take it over too. Most of the rest of the world won't want em because they see Texans as nothing more than belligerent cowboys ever since Bush set the example. Unfortunately I think you're stuck with the suckers. I do have one idea though, tar and feather the lot and then just dunk em in the gulf, see if they can swim.

[Zen0469]

Art, you are my kind of problem solver!

[Icomeinpeace]

It's about the 10th amendment folks. You all just don't get it. The federal gov't gets its powers from the states. not the opposite. An independent country of Texas would do just fine in this world. It would probobly do a lot better than most states. Maybe we should dissolve the country. I think the impass is closer than people realize.

[tonewheel]

Please pass the bong.

[dutt]

Yeah, we all just don't get it. Perhaps Your Excellency will explain it to us.

[Zen0469]

I believe His Excellency is on the bong. His explanation may be a bit circular (or eliptical if you prefer).

[Artos]

Wrong, The Federal Government gets it's power from the people, or at least that's what we were taught in school. As far as I can see we are all supposed to be Americans. If you have some new information I never got please let me know about it.

[ConservativeHippie]

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

[endex05]

What's an "impass?" Is that a Dallas Cowboy quarterback's neologism?

[nogornc]

Texas may NEED to leave. Why? That pesky annoying democracy that funnels all that money for your disasters is getting you down. What ever you do when you leave go south; we have enough of your type up here as it is. And stop yelling all the time on our ski slopes!

[LatteLibertine]

I enjoyed it. As others said it was intentionally absurd, as is TX thinking it could just "leave" the United States without thinking it through. Some Conservative are big on the idea and not on the details.

[dutt]

I propose we sell Texas to the highest bidder.

[Raiseup151z]

I second that.

[yourmotherwasahamster]

I'll give you $12 and a partially consumed bottle of Bailey's Irish Creme liquor.

[mollymac]

The word is SECEDE. There is a difference between success and secede.

[Uptrodden]

I agree..... Then finally Texas would become the largest state in Mexico. We the U.S. would then probably have an influx of Texans crossing the newly drawn border (illegal immigrants) for sure. Maybe, Maybe not, but probably there are still some sane people still living there that would want to get out and I hope they can escape under the new tyrannical rulers. If you think the number of executions there is high now....please DO NOT RUN A RED LIGHT because the choppers will be out with their mega beam searchlights in full force to track you down.
No hard feelings though, I hope they can make it through after the influx of cheap labor they'll now experience from South Mexico that will eventually take all thier jobs.

[Deadmoose]

KO are you trying to talk them out of it. WTF

[MissPreciousPerfect]

I bet a poll of non-Texans would find overwhelming support from the rest of the country for the secession of Texas.

Bah-bah Texas. Y'all don't come back now, hear?

[steveo39]

Yes. Please go. My guess is that most of the rest of the country doesn't want you and your big talk and inflated ego and valorization of ignorance. Go. Take the Carolinas with you. And Mississippi and Alabama. Back to the 19th century with you, then backward ever backward, to the pre-Enlightenment. Unburden the rest of us.

[TXfemmom]

Actually, the rest of the country would be much better off were they to just kick out the Southern states. Get rid of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Carolinas and they would no longer be able to mooch off the other states.

[BambooHarvester]

Keith Olbermann has defined 21st Century journalism.

Condolences for his mom ... I Thank Her !

... & regarding the wonkette smear . . .

"If ya can't get Laid ya wonkette"
~

[OneLiberalLady]

I generally - in fact usually - agree with Keith politically but find him far too thin-skinned. When he goes into these rants about things personal to him, he loses a lot of people. Trust me on this one!

[LeftCoastLarry]

Maybe - just a suggestion - you take him too seriously all the time. This was clearly - to me - making the ridiculous look even more ridiculous. A lot of tongue-in-cheek. Nothing more.

[SILVANUS]

Texas..... LEAVE NOW. Your weather sucks, your cities are concrete pasted on top of horse dung, and you have given us two wretched presidents. And you killed one of our most promising.

LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE

[Bobzmcishl]

I love the part where Perry claims "Texas is special". Texas is one of the most boring states in the Union. Of course it is an empty threat on Perry's part but he has done a service to the rest of us by shining a light on just how much Texas gets from the rest of us versus what they give to the country.

[IllinoisTexan43]

We're just hearing the de@th-rattle of a politician who won't win the governorship come next election. He only won the last election because another republican( Strayhorn) went turncoat and switched parties splitting the vote, and he still only got 37% of the vote. This guy has to be certifiable to even think about a presidential run(which he is). Stick a fork in him, he's done.

[mmgbizgirl]

Look at Perry. Ready for his close-up. He can barely contain his desperation for power and fame.

[carolinhouston]

The data quoted by Olberman is from a survey of Texas Republicans. I've seen no data from Democrats and Independents. Also, it does not include African Americans who make up about 13 percent of the population and are heavily concentrated in and around the major metro areas. AAs and Hispanics together comprise about 50% of the voting population. Add the white Democratic and Independent votes. You would get a different viewpoint here.

Moreover, the civil war that would take place in Texas would be something for the history books. I'd like to hear some discussion in the media on this. Would be interesting indeed.

[TXfemmom]

There was a poll conducted of all Texans and only 21% favored secession. That means that Perry fell 15% shorter on that than he received in his last election.

[RuthlessDictator]

Probably most of those 21% are Ron Paul Republicans and white nationalists, whom the neo-cons repubs hate anyway.