Cleveland Balks!

February 10, 2005 2:23 PM

Bye Cleveland. Democratic Official wants Northeast Ohio to secede the state.
posted by Dome-O-Rama (23 comments total)

Rest of Ohio goes "meh".

Cincinnati already thinks it's a part of Kentucky, just never did the paperwork.
posted by Dome-O-Rama at 2:25 PM on February 10, 2005

This stuff happens all the time in just about every state. It's just intrastate regionalism. In Nebraska, the far western panhandle complains about going to Wyoming. New York City officials grumble about billions in lost taxes to the state each year. In Minnesota, there's a metro vs. rural contigenent. Ohio is no different, just the person grumbling is.
posted by Arch Stanton at 2:34 PM on February 10, 2005

Nohio.
posted by interrupt at 2:45 PM on February 10, 2005

In Minnesota, there's a metro vs. rural contigenent.

Not only that, we also have a little nubbin that periodically tries to join Canada.
posted by COBRA! at 2:48 PM on February 10, 2005

As a Clevelander, I'm all in favor! Dome-o-Rama is right about Cinci, too. And we're considerably different from the rest of the state politically, too. (When I went back to visit my friends and former roommates in Boston last December, I got many "how could you do it!?"s about the election...little did they know we vote more like Massachusetts up here).
posted by bitter-girl.com at 2:48 PM on February 10, 2005

More power to ya, Cleveland. Can we finally let Texas secede the union next, please?
posted by ibidem at 3:18 PM on February 10, 2005

As a Clevelander: meh.
posted by greensweater at 3:21 PM on February 10, 2005

COBRA!, It's not even connected by land to Minnesota -- why not just let 'em? :)
posted by linux at 3:22 PM on February 10, 2005

bitter-girl.com asserts " And we're considerably different from the rest of the state politically, too."

I have an anecdote that shows that opinion is not just Cleveland boosterism.

When I went to Ohio to volunteer for Kerry, the out-of-state volunteer placement people, or "Kerry Travellers", divided the map of Ohio up, sending volunteers from particular US states to one of (I think) six particular Ohio regions.

To a large extent, this division of Ohio physically reflected the country as a whole: people from the Southwestern United States were sent to Southwestern Ohio, volunteers from the "Old South" or the Southeastern United states to Southeastern Ohio, volunteers from the Central States to Central Ohio (home to likely traditional football rival OSU), etc. Ohio really is in some ways a microcosm of the country.

The only deviation from this was that volunteers from traditionally very liberal states were sent to Northeastern Ohio -- that is Cleveland. That volunteers from the Northeast United States ended up in Cleveland matched the general country-to-Ohio mopping, but Cleveland also got (if I remember correctly) California, DC, maybe Oregon or Washington State.

Indeed, I was told by someone on the campaign that Cleveland was really the Western-most extent of the (ideological) Northeast.

(Given this, I expected to end up in Cleveland myself, as did most of the people I knew, but certain rare skills got me shanghaied to the state headquarters in Columbus.)
posted by orthogonality at 3:32 PM on February 10, 2005

linux, it's because the nubbin is strategic land for any invasions of northern neighbors.
posted by Arch Stanton at 3:33 PM on February 10, 2005

Nohio--that's great.

I have heard more horrible things about Cleveland than any other US city. It can't be true.
posted by ParisParamus at 3:39 PM on February 10, 2005

Cleveland is a great town. I'd stayed there many times, when I was in a band that actually toured. Never had a bad time there. Can't say the same about Cincy. Both times we played there, we had run ins with some ridiculous rednecks. I'm sure it's a nice place but 0 or 2 on the good experience count, and I'll not be going back there if I can help it. /OT
posted by psmealey at 3:52 PM on February 10, 2005

cinci thinks entirely too much of itself as well.
posted by Dome-O-Rama at 4:12 PM on February 10, 2005

My favorite secession of modern times was when Key West seceded in 1982 to form the Conch Republic. The Viennese Secession of 1897 comes in a close second in my book.

The reason Key West takes it is that, after their brief rebellion, the citizens of the Conch Republic surrendered to US authorities and demanded $1bn in federal aid.
posted by nyterrant at 5:19 PM on February 10, 2005

Cincinnati is part of no state. The city's visitor's bureau promotes the city as Cincinnati, USA.
posted by Mick at 5:42 PM on February 10, 2005

Before I left the 'nati, the visitor's bureau was using the following slogan: "New York, New Orleans... New Cincinnati." I mean, how great is that?
posted by plemeljr at 6:19 PM on February 10, 2005

Perhaps they should join Red Sox Nation.
posted by oldleada at 6:35 PM on February 10, 2005

Personally, I think Cinci and Newport, KY are part of their own state... Kentuckio, or something. A lot of Ohio people say Cinci is Kentucky; Kentuckians say Newport is like Ohio.
posted by adzm at 12:36 AM on February 11, 2005

Indeed, I was told by someone on the campaign that Cleveland was really the Western-most extent of the (ideological) Northeast.

It's actually very typically Midwestern, somewhat Southern, kind of frightening like New Hampshire, which is why, like NW, the poltiicians pay so much attention to the Ohio polls and primaries: welcome to Lowest Common Denominator, U.S.A, which also makes up 60% of the nation.

I say this from long long periods of alienated "living" in the area, which has become a sort of research project, trying like hell to understand the dominant Ohio Species the way you might try to understand bacteria under a microscope (as it's often impossible to relate to them as sane, mature human beings with brains, conscience, souls...)

This is not to say that OH doesn't have some GREAT people. They're just automatically freaks and outcasts, IMO, LOL.
posted by Shane at 5:45 AM on February 11, 2005

Oops, that should be ...why, like NH, the politicians pay so much attention to the Ohio polls and primaries...
posted by Shane at 5:48 AM on February 11, 2005

Dear Cleveland,

Can Pittsburgh come too? We're tired of Harrisburg.

Thanks. You're the best.
posted by arabelladragon at 7:42 AM on February 11, 2005

This is very familiar. In Illinois, it's all about Chicago (the six-county region considered to be the Chicago area) vs. Downstate (everywhere else), and to a lesser extent Chicago vs. suburbs (not so much now that Pate Philip is out of office). There have been some bitter battles in Springfield.

And of course, there's Northwest Indiana, which would secede in a minute and become part of Illinois if it could, I'm convinced. It's on the Central Time Zone, like Chicago and unlike almost all of Indiana, they get Chicago TV stations and Chicago media, and people I know from there say they're from Chicago when asked.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:39 AM on February 11, 2005

When will this end?
posted by breezeway at 1:15 PM on February 11, 2005