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Comment by larsiusprime | Hacker News Reader

There are not 'blue' and 'red' states -- this is an artifact of the electoral college. There are huge 'red' zones mixed throughout 'blue' california. Usa on the whole is purple.

EDIT: Yes, I'm aware of distortions in the electoral college. My point is that some people seem to think that California is this massive blue block and that rural population you know, doesn't matter. The divide is not "red state" vs "blue state" it's cities vs. the rural. Yes the cities have more population. But the rural population exists and if you go for separation they would have to come along too, and maybe they would have something to say about it (such as breaking their rural portions off from your state and rejoining the rest of the USA, for one).

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There are huge 'red' zones mixed throughout 'blue' california.

Geographically, yes. But land doesn't vote, people do. By population, it's a huge spread. Hillary beat Trump by over a 30% spread. 61.73% vs 31.62%.

Most of the big "blue" states are similar. In Illinois, it was a 17% spread. Over 22% spread in New York.

You're not disagreeing with his point at all. 60% blue and 30% red still looks like purple to me.

Even the most staunchly blue states have a huge red contingent - and vice versa.

That doesn't change the fact that nearly one out of three Californians voted for Trump (of those who voted, anyways). It's a huge spread politically, but 32% of the population isn't something that can just be handwaved away.

States also have governments which make decisions (like the one being discussed here). That said, the grandparent comment is a massive oversimplification. California itself had tax revenue problems not too long ago.

California itself had tax revenue problems not too long ago.

In 2011, they had state-wide tax revenue of $282 billion. That was the year Jerry Brown followed Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor, and a series of tax hikes were put into policy.

In 2015, tax revenue was $405 billion.

So what you're seeing is a shift in policy from Schwarzenegger to Brown, and a closing of the revenue gaps because of it.

California has "red" areas, yes, but at the level of state government they are drowned out just as they are in the electoral college. State-level policies are heavily "blue".

As party sentiment goes, yes, but as far as policy and control goes there are some significant differences.

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