The Difference Between Red and Blue States

I recently took a week’s vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to get away from work and relax on the beach. During my short time away from home in California, I noticed some distinct differences.

When leaving Sacramento, California, everyone was rushed. People were curt and stressed out in most of their jobs, but they got things done. After being processed through airport parking and onto the plane, I didn’t feel any difference, as this is the California I live in.

The Change

The change I noticed almost immediately was when I got off the plane at the Fort Lauderdale airport. People were not running around; they seemed courteous and polite. The airport was very clean, there were no homeless people hanging out, and there was no trash anywhere. The area was pristine. As I took in the scene on my bus ride to the hotel, I noticed a distinct difference. There were no homeless people on the streets. The streets were clean, and people seemed relaxed walking around. When I arrived at the hotel, the employees were friendly, helpful, and relaxed.

As I spent my time in Fort Lauderdale, it was amazing to see things I haven’t seen since I was a child. Children played on the beach without parents a few feet away. There was no trash, no homeless people, no drugs. Women walked around with no worries. Cars stopped for people at crosswalks. I only heard a police siren a couple of times the entire week. There was a police presence, but it was comfortable. Not once was I asked for money. There were no tents on the streets, no prostitutes hanging out, no drug dealers on street corners. Nobody was smoking marijuana, and drug use didn’t appear to be present. People were drinking at the hotels, but everyone seemed happy, friendly, and peaceful. When people walked by me on the street, they said “Hi.” I was thanked for stepping off the sidewalk to let an owner and his dog pass.

Everything seemed very different. There was no stress, anger, or tension on the street. People were very happy. Customer service everywhere was awesome. People were friendly, and families were out enjoying themselves. Nobody seemed scared that something was going to happen. You could stop and talk to anyone.

This is clearly the difference between a red state and a blue state. People are happy, people feel safe, there is no crime on the streets, there are no homeless people to be seen, and no drug dealers or addicts out and about.

Returning Home

I didn’t really think about my experience until I was heading back home. As I landed in Dallas and was preparing to board the plane, there were a lot of people from California headed back home. They were rude, pushy, and angry. Of course, I don’t live in Sacramento; I live in the mountains near Lake Tahoe, where the people are very nice. However, the difference in how people act and behave in a blue state is very evident. People were pushy, ramming their suitcases into you, unhelpful, and just rude in Sacramento. It is evident when you return, as you see the homeless on the streets, the tents, the addicts, the reckless drivers, and hot tempers.

If you wonder why people are packing up and leaving blue states for red ones, take a vacation in a red state and spend a week. When you return home, it will be clear that there is a significant difference.

My advice: This November, vote Republican.