The Liberal Invasion of Red State America by Kristin Tate
May 1, 2020
For May’s Book of the Month, we selected Kristin Tate’s newest book, “The Liberal Invasion of Red State America,” published by Regnery in January 2020. Kristin Tate is an author and columnist focused on taxation and federal spending. She is currently a Robert Novak Fellow at the Fund for American Studies, examining the size and scope of the federal workforce. To read more about Kristin Tate, visit her website here.
About the book…
Refugees from high-tax Massachusetts turned New Hampshire blue. Democratic voters from Yankee states are swamping Tennessee and Georgia. Government employees and refugees from Maryland have turned Virginia from a conservative Southern state into left-leaning Democrat territory. Escapees from California have transformed Colorado, and they’re aiming for Texas next.
One state after another is turning from red to purple to blue. America is being radically changes by people leaving blue states for better living conditions and opportunities in red states—only to import to their new homes the very policies that created the misery they fled from in the first place.
The direction of the change is undeniable:
• A 2019 poll found that 53 percent of residents are considering leaving California on account of the exorbitant cost of living
• From 2008-2018, Houston’s population surged more than 15 percent, and the top metro areas of origin for those new Texas residents were Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago
• Migration from blue states is changing the Texas electorate: between 2010 and 2018, votes for Democrats went up 50 percent, while Republican votes increased by just 10 percent
• Boom is turning to bust in cities like Denver, as hip blue state refugees to red states raise the cost of living by voting in liberal policies
The liberal invasion of the conservative states is having major impacts on our elections, our economy, and our standard of living. And yet few Americans are even aware of the trend, and fewer still have any idea of the significant implications for the future of the United States.
Now, in The Liberal Invasion of Red State America, indefatigable reporter Kristin Tate delves into the data, lays out the astonishing statistics, and explores the likely consequences of this under-the-radar trend. If you want to understand the movement that is reshaping our country, read this groundbreaking book.
Discussion Questions
Tate suggests that the majority of migration to urban areas in red states, for example, Texas, is due to the desire for low taxes and minimal environmental regulations. Other times, it’s because of the abundance of affordable, safe housing. Are there other draws to red states’ urban cities that could feed into the migration?
Ben Adler from the Washington Post criticized Tate’s book, asking the question, “Is it possible that the public goods and amenities offered by liberal urban areas – such as museums, mass transit, ethnic diversity and educated workforces – are more important to high-paying companies (and the employees they must recruit) than tax rates?” Or, is there more to be said about the migrations away from such areas after taxes increase to pay for those exact amenities?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!