This has legitimately always pissed me off. The mid(dle) west is not in the eastern portion of the country. The first thing I'd do as supreme leader of the united furry states of america is put everyone that says things like "Ohio is in the midwest" onto a boat headed to the Bermuda Triangle. Then sink it when it approaches, just to be sure.
I've heard arguments "but in 1612 we didn't know that if we kept walking we would find more land" or "the population density is what matters". You know what I say? On the boat.