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So I am not attempting to start a political argument, but this is something that's been on my mind for a few days now.
This started with me looking at how the poorest states in the US all seem to primarily vote red, aka republican. Then I got curious and looked at how mostly democrat controlled states fair and they seem to all be the most crime ridden states out there.
So correct me if I am wrong on this info, but if voting red leaves you poor and voting blue might leave you shot and killed, wouldn't voting green do both sides, and in turn each other, a favor?
I am NOT saying this as a political ad or whatever. Not a huge "Go green!" thing or saying or something. Just a legit question. Like it seems that swerving hard one way or another does nobody any good, so why not settle for a happy middle and hope that works out for everyone?
And for those who I KNOW exist and will ask: I did not vote green or independent this time, but I am not disclosing who or how I voted. I am still pissed with my options, as this was my first time voting, but I still did the thing.
Chris - Most of the red states also have higher crime rates and gun deaths as well. While a few of the big cities like Chicago have had a spike in crime, overall Illinois has a lower crime rate than Alabama! Check the FBI crime rates by state. Most of the red states also have poorer health outcomes as well, and you're likely to die younger in the red states! They refer to it as being "called home" by Jesus!
This started with me looking at how the poorest states in the US all seem to primarily vote red, aka republican. Then I got curious and looked at how mostly democrat controlled states fair and they seem to all be the most crime ridden states out there.
Well, I'm glad that you're thinking, but there is no such thing as a blue state or a red state. For instance, within California, the cities vote Democrat, but the rural areas overwhelmingly vote Republican. The same thing goes for a state like Texas. Much of Austin is more liberal than New York City.
And a state like West Virginia, didn't start voting for Republicans until 2000.
Between 1932 and 1996, there were sixteen elections, West Virginia voted for Republicans only three times. Once for Eisenhower's second term, once for Nixon's second term, and once for Reagan's second term. But voted against all three in their first terms.
What people don't understand about the 2000 election, is that they think Florida was the deciding factor of that election. In truth, the Democrats lost, because they thought West Virginia was a safe Democratic state. It had voted for Democrats in the three previous elections, and five out of the last six elections.
Furthermore, West Virginia isn't poor because it is a Republican state. It is poor because it is an inland mountain state, who's economy depended almost-entirely on the extraction of coal, but the coal industry has collapsed. And even more, the people there don't just want to get up and move to other states.
Also, most Midwestern states, and especially the Mountain West states, vote Republican, but they are doing very well. Why? If you look at the Dakota's, they had been making huge profits off oil and gas. Throw on top of that high prices for grains, especially corn. The heartland has been doing pretty well. At least until recently, when oil prices began to plummet.
As for the so-called "blue states". Let us first understand what their economy is actually built on. Take New York City for reference. Its economy is built on finance. New York City is just a big bank. Wall-Street, World-Trade center, speculation, United Nations, etc.
I think something like six of the ten richest counties in America are around Washington D.C., but what is its economy built on? Nothing but tax dollars. And it votes overwhelmingly democratic. What does it mean?
As for crime rates, you first need to ask the question, "What causes crime?"
Most people want to scream "poverty". But from my own research, the primary factors are actually inequality, and dependence.
As someone else wrote in this forum, within these "Red States", the poorest people overwhelmingly vote democrat. But that is only true for people who live in cities(IE those who are dependent). Poor people who live in rural areas, vote Republican.
Which comes to my point. The real division in this country is primarily between the city and the countryside. The cities are liberal, and the countryside is conservative. This has always been true, and it is true everywhere else in the world as well.
Chris - Most of the red states also have higher crime rates and gun deaths as well. While a few of the big cities like Chicago have had a spike in crime, overall Illinois has a lower crime rate than Alabama! Check the FBI crime rates by state. Most of the red states also have poorer health outcomes as well, and you're likely to die younger in the red states! They refer to it as being "called home" by Jesus!
Stop treating entire states like they are all the same. Once you leave Chicago, the vast-majority of Illinois is just corn farms. And almost all of the murders in Illinois, happen in Chicago. And it isn't like the entire city of Chicago has a high murder rate. The rich areas of the city are perfectly safe. The crime is happening in the poor/mostly-black areas.
If you were to sever Chicago from the rest of the state, and then make its own state, it would be the highest-crime state in the entire country. But so what?
Basically, where you draw the lines on a map, makes some states, or cities, look better or worse than they actually are.
I drove through Birmingham. When you go up into the mountains, there is a bunch of "Old Money", and almost no crime.
As a general rule, look at any major city, find a gold course, and all around it will be massive houses, and they are perfectly safe.
Stop treating entire states like they are all the same. Once you leave Chicago, the vast-majority of Illinois is just corn farms. And almost all of the murders in Illinois, happen in Chicago. And it isn't like the entire city of Chicago has a high murder rate. The rich areas of the city are perfectly safe. The crime is happening in the poor/mostly-black areas.
If you were to sever Chicago from the rest of the state, and then make its own state, it would be the highest-crime state in the entire country. But so what?
Basically, where you draw the lines on a map, makes some states, or cities, look better or worse than they actually are.
I drove through Birmingham. When you go up into the mountains, there is a bunch of "Old Money", and almost no crime.
As a general rule, look at any major city, find a gold course, and all around it will be massive houses, and they are perfectly safe.
I'm from Illinois, man. Besides Chicago and Chicago Heights, it's mostly suburbs honestly. But I agree with the crime rate stuff. It's once you leave the "touristy" downtown, which is where you'll find most of the white population and nice museums and such, it's just crime city.
And this isn't me making an assumption, this is from experience. I was born and mostly raised there. The cities getting worse.
After reading and thinking, now it makes sense to me. Living in Minnesota I noticed the big cities are overwhelmingly blue and democratic voters, it seems, but the smaller citites like Brainerd/Baxter and Little Falls (for example) are crazy Republican like.
So I guess it really is city vs. country I'm gonna have to look at and reassess this question entirely.
So I am not attempting to start a political argument, but this is something that's been on my mind for a few days now.
This started with me looking at how the poorest states in the US all seem to primarily vote red, aka republican. Then I got curious and looked at how mostly democrat controlled states fair and they seem to all be the most crime ridden states out there.
So correct me if I am wrong on this info, but if voting red leaves you poor and voting blue might leave you shot and killed, wouldn't voting green do both sides, and in turn each other, a favor?
I am NOT saying this as a political ad or whatever. Not a huge "Go green!" thing or saying or something. Just a legit question. Like it seems that swerving hard one way or another does nobody any good, so why not settle for a happy middle and hope that works out for everyone?
And for those who I KNOW exist and will ask: I did not vote green or independent this time, but I am not disclosing who or how I voted. I am still pissed with my options, as this was my first time voting, but I still did the thing.
This has been discussed on another post.
The stats are skewed because they look at states only.
If you look at cities, you will see the biggest cities are dem controlled and have the highest crime/murder rates.
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Check the FBI crime rates by state. Most of the red states also have poorer health outcomes as well, and you're likely to die younger in the red states! They refer to it as being "called home" by Jesus! 
