July 12, 2011 10:25 PM UTC

Tired of Living in a Blue State?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Not a Colorado politics story in itself, but we know a similar thought has occurred to a few of you–Los Angeles Times:

The 51st state should be named South California, says Jeff Stone, a Republican on the the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. But the proposed 13 southern California counties that would split off from the Golden State would not include Los Angeles.

Stone told the Times’ Phil Willon that the omission is intentional and is part of a plan that would make for a new conservative Californian state.

“Los Angeles is purposely excluded because they have the same liberal policies that Sacramento does. The last thing I want to do is create a state that’s a carbon copy of what we have now,” Stone said…

Eleven of the 13 proposed counties in South California traditionally vote Republican, a fact noticed by California Gov. Jerry Brown’s office.

“If you want to live in a Republican state with very conservative right-wing laws, then there’s a place called Arizona,” Brown spokesman Gil Duran said. [Pols emphasis]

“West Colorado,” anyone? Pitkin County could be the token Democrats! Or, maybe Mesa County just secedes…into Utah! Local fancies aside, you’ve got to admire a Southern California Republican who wants to secede but leave Los Angeles out of the new ultra-red “South California”–ambitious, even if it would be a little like New York State seceding from the city.

On the other hand, with the possible (and likely temporary) exception of San Diego and Orange County, “South California” would look a lot like Arkansas with palm trees.