The attempts by some rural residents of deep blue states to merge with more simpatico states on their border shows a big sign of their frustration and a serious commentary on how misgoverned some states are.

Oregon’s 11 most eastern counties are furious that “woke” Portland and the university town of Eugene dominate the state’s politics (Republicans have not elected a governor in 40 years). They say their communities are shortchanged and ignored. Every one of the 11 counties involved has passed referendums calling for a merger with neighboring Idaho.

Last week, the Idaho House of Representatives passed a nonbinding memorial calling for formal talks between the Idaho and Oregon legislatures to discuss the merger.

Oregon Sen. Dennis Linthicum of Klamath Falls says his colleagues will want to ignore the move, but they do so at the risk of completely alienating eastern Oregon.

For her part, Idaho state Rep. Judy Boyle says there are practical reasons for her state to back a merger. She says it could reduce the volume of illegal drugs coming into her state from Oregon, which has abolished many of its narcotics laws.

Idaho’s Democratic House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel says the idea is crazy and called it “self-segregating by ideology.”

Yes, that’s exactly what is happening in America. The people in rural eastern Oregon are outvoted by the woke progressives in Portland – who have adopted inane crime, homeless and tax policies almost intentionally designed to drive its middle class as far from the madness of Portlandia as they can get.

For the record, we are all for redrawing state lines so that citizens have self-determination and can escape from progressive tyranny.