If you aren’t familiar, CALEXIT is the move by some in California to have that state secede from the Union. In their view, California would have the world’s 6th largest economy and the rest of the United States is nothing but a millstone about California’s pencil-like neck. Somehow the organizers have forgotten that we don’t do secession. That, as they say, is settled law (see Lincoln vs. Davis, 1865).

Despite the improbability and illegality of it all, the idea of a nation without Barbara Boxer and Maxine Waters and the general craziness of the Breakfast Cereal State (most of California’s population are fruits, flakes, or nuts) has a certain attraction. It would be interesting to watch how quickly California would descend into a Third World sh**hole without something approaching adult leadership.

Welp, my hopes are shattered. The organizers of CALEXIT have stopped their drive to get the initiative put on California’s ballot.

Supporters of one long-shot bid to make California an independent nation ended their effort on Monday, while another group said it will launch a new campaign for a statewide vote next year.

The drive to make the nation’s most populous state its own country, with what would be the world’s sixth-largest economy, has drawn extra interest after last year’s election of Republican Donald Trump as president.

But whyyyy?

The campaign — which already faced an extremely difficult road to California secession — got some bad publicity in December to go along with its incredulous publicity when it was discovered that its leader, Louis Martinelli, actually lives in Russia. Now, Martinelli says he intends to make Russia his new home permanently.

The leader of the Calexit campaign, Louis Marinelli, just announced he's settling in Russia permanently & withdrawing his ballot petition. pic.twitter.com/zHwtUjcm5p

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) April 17, 2017

Wait. He’s going to move to Russia? How did that happen? I thought only Trump had ties to Russia.

Never fear, though, hope springs eternal:

One of the leaders of the group behind the “Calexit” proposal for California secession is making an exit of his own. Marcus Ruiz Evans, co-founder of Yes California, announced today that he is leaving the group in order to join a new organization that plans to take over the effort. The move comes as Yes California is being scrutinized both for its alleged ties to Russia and for its lack of fundraising.

Evans is joining the nascent California Freedom Coalition, which plans a similar proposal that would put the question of state independence before voters in 2018 (rather than in both 2018 and 2019 under the current would-be measure).