You’ve probably seen the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, but I’ve seen also a startling yet unsurprising statistic, if that isn’t a contradiction. We have a breakdown of support here for the President by region; in general, the South has Obama’s approval at 27-68, while the rest of the US reverses that score, with a favorable of 67.

If the south were excluded from the equation, our President would have a 67% approval rating, and all the disgusting idiot nonsense – birthers, death panels, Faux Noise and Limbo – would simply not be there. Supposing, instead of

and then

ol’ Abe had’ve allowed those dissidents to simply vanish from the rolls and be left alone to cause trouble for themselves alone. The question of dissolution has been spoken of by the Supremes, you know, immediately postbellum, and in the decision (STATE OF TEXAS v. WHITE, 74 U.S. 700 (1868)) there was the usual boilerplate:

The Union of the States never was a purely artificial and [74 U.S. 700, 725] arbitrary relation. It began among the Colonies, and grew out of common origin, mutual sympathies, kindred principles, similar interests, and geographical relations. It was confirmed and strengthened by the necessities of war, and received definite form, and character, and sanction from the Articles of Confederation. By these the Union was solemnly declared to ‘be perpetual.’ And when these Articles were found to be inadequate to the exigencies of the country, the Constitution was ordained ‘to form a more perfect Union.’ It is difficult to convey the idea of indissoluble unity more clearly than by these words. What can be indissoluble if a perpetual Union, made more perfect, is not?

..but also:

The act which consummated her admission into the Union was something more than a compact; it was the incorporation of a new member into the political body. And it was final. The union between Texas and the other States was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States. There was no place for reconsideration, or revocation, except through revolution, or through consent of the States.

Emphasis mine. As a thought experiment, imagine how we would soar like the eagle if Texas and South Carolina and such others as cared to join them were to offer to secede, and be accepted.The level of public discourse in the US would rise up tremendously, and international respect would grow accordingly, and much of fear and loathing would simply vanish.

The only downside I can think of is that Keith Olbermann would probably have to take up sports reporting full-time.