The Hartmann Report: Why are Red State Citizens Poorer, Less Educated, & Sicker than Blue State Citizens?

[Dennis Donovan]

The Tennessee Holler
😳
Thom Hartmann lays out why red states especially ones with Republican supermajorities (like ours 👋🏽 are poorer, sicker, less educated— while we depend more on the federal government.

Not an accident. Policy choices.
https://hartmannreport.com/p/why-are-red-state-citizens-poorer-2ef

10:12 AM · Oct 4, 2024

The Hartmann Report - Why are Red State Citizens Poorer, Less Educated, & Sicker than Blue State Citizens?

Republicans worship cheap labor — and having a steady and reliable supply of cheap labor requires widespread poverty…

Thom Hartmann
Oct 04, 2024

One of the enduring mysteries of America is why the citizens of Red states are generally poorer, less educated, and sicker than the citizens of Blue states. To that question, I step up as your hierophant with an answer to this deep mystery that you may not have previously considered.

First, that generalization is broadly true:

— Blue states account for about 71 percent of America’s GDP, whereas Red states only produce 29 percent of our income and wealth.
— The median family income in Blue states is $74,243. In Red states it’s $63,553. Individual states highlight the disparity: New Jersey’s median income is $89,703, while Mississippi’s is $49,111.
— Counties that voted for Biden in 2020 are more diverse, being 35 percent nonwhite compared to 16 percent nonwhite populations in counties that voted for Trump.
— Counties that voted for Biden in 2020 are better educated, with 36 percent of their population having some college education compared to Trump’s counties at 25 percent.
— Residents of Blue states live 2.2 years longer, on average, than residents of Red states.

/snip

Nothing I didn't already assume, but it's good to see it laid out succinctly.

Link to tweet

[CrispyQ]

1. If only you could get them to read these stats.

I asked one trumper I know why they never choose to live in a red state, but always a blue state. Crickets.

[tinrobot]

4. If you could only get them to read

Because "less educated" usually goes along with less reading.

[Initech]

2. Because republicans only care about what their talk radio and Fox News masters think?

[Keepthesoulalive]

3. They mentioned Mississippi

They are holding on to their heritage and hate. Also a brain drain, people with options move out as soon as they can.

[Basso8vb]

5. Because they are full of hatred.

And deliberately undereducated.