Could Washington succeed by seceding? It's a little bit crazy. But that's going around

President Trump got you down? Here's a rundown of secession’s upside for Washington. President Trump got you down? Here's a rundown of secession’s upside for Washington. Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Could Washington succeed by seceding? 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

It’s one of the strange things out here in the West. Folks back east don’t really get it.

We’re pretty comfy with secession.

Remember Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd.

It made a minor rumble after Palin was tapped to join John McCain on the 2008 GOP presidential ticket. It turned out Todd -- the snowmobile-racing, oilfield-working fisherman -- was also Todd the former Alaska Independence Party member.

And so it was that the rest of the nation was stunned to learn (1) some Alaskans think their federal money-devouring state can go it alone, and (2) most folks there don’t find it all that weird.

There’s no denying the AIP is a bit wacky – its founder declared, with a very Alaskan turn of phrase, that “the fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government.” But Alaskans liked the party’s basic premise enough to put one of its members in the governor’s mansion in 1990.

The Pacific Northwest’s nascent independence movement – Cascadia – has come from the left and has never shown much political sway. Trudi Inslee isn’t flying the Doug Fir flag anywhere we know.

Two weeks in, though, President Donald Trump has done little to appeal to those fantasizing about a break from the union. Check out the slideshow above for a rundown of secession’s upside for Washington.

Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.