Mostly non-urban portions of the United States typically with the lowest per capita income and education levels but the highest crime rates, divorce rates and percentage of the population that describe themselves as "Christian".
The term is derived from the 2000 presidential election where TV News broadcasts colored the US map with red for states carried by George W Bush. The term has become a shorthand for the conservative side of the cultural divide in the US.
In Red States, the Republican Party has co-opted the most extreme conservative position on cultural issues and managed to conflate these issues with patriotism and family values.
Red State voters, while often the poorest, most ill-informed and least educated of the electorate vote against their social and economic self-interest because they view "values" as the measure of good governance.
The term is now expanded to describe a lifestyle and attitude that is anti-elitist and attached to American symbols such as the flag, large SUVs, NASCAR, Wal-Mart and country music.
See also Blue States
The term is derived from the 2000 presidential election where TV News broadcasts colored the US map with red for states carried by George W Bush. The term has become a shorthand for the conservative side of the cultural divide in the US.
In Red States, the Republican Party has co-opted the most extreme conservative position on cultural issues and managed to conflate these issues with patriotism and family values.
Red State voters, while often the poorest, most ill-informed and least educated of the electorate vote against their social and economic self-interest because they view "values" as the measure of good governance.
The term is now expanded to describe a lifestyle and attitude that is anti-elitist and attached to American symbols such as the flag, large SUVs, NASCAR, Wal-Mart and country music.
See also Blue States
Mega-churches in the Red States distributed Christian voter guides to steer their congregations to vote for Bush in 2004.
by clindsay September 18, 2005
Get the U.S. Red States mug.The states that liberalandproud wishes to abolish from this country. Like typical liberals, he/she believes that anyone who doesn't agree with him/her (i.e. people from the red states) is inarguably a moron, idiot, etc. Here's an idea: perhaps the reason that the Red States supported Bush because Kerry was not an effective candidate?
Of course, it's pointless to try to talk sense to most liberals, as they will always resort to personal attacks and maintain their attitude that they are right, and everyone else is just too stupid to understand the right way.
by RationalRepublican November 25, 2006
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The best places in the United States that make up over half of the nation's total population as well as around 3/4 of the country's total land mass. These particular states are filled with good people, usually who work for a living and get educations or they work hard to make something of themselves. There are a few ultra-liberal morons and ghetto-ass black people who hate whites, but overall it is the better people who have morals, a work ethic, care about their families, and defend their personal beliefs and will stand up for their president, or at least for their country.
All of you blue states are outnumbered and outwitted, as a result of our being more intelligent than you. Go Bush Go!
by The Kentucky Yankee April 25, 2005
Get the Red States mug.A concept unwittingly invented by the late Tim Russert during coverage of the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election. For details, see the individual definitions red state and blue state.
Besides the fact that the colors are the opposite of the rest of the world, the absolute most irritating thing about the red state blue state concept is how it polarizes Americans. Originally, it was only referring to the electoral college, but since then the terms have become part of popular culture. They imply that all citizens within a certain state, which is defined by arbitrary lines on a map, are all generally in agreement with each other, politically speaking.
This is of course ridiculous. Most of the time, the margin of victory in individual states in a Presidential election is not profoundly large. It's quite rare that either of the two main candidates receives less than 1/3rd of the vote in any given state. It's also quite common for a state of a certain "color" to elect other politicians from the opposite party (as mayor, governor, senate, etc.). Add to that the fact that voter turnout hasn't gone over 63% in the last 100 years, and it's easy to see how asinine it is to group together all citizens of a certain state.
Besides the fact that the colors are the opposite of the rest of the world, the absolute most irritating thing about the red state blue state concept is how it polarizes Americans. Originally, it was only referring to the electoral college, but since then the terms have become part of popular culture. They imply that all citizens within a certain state, which is defined by arbitrary lines on a map, are all generally in agreement with each other, politically speaking.
This is of course ridiculous. Most of the time, the margin of victory in individual states in a Presidential election is not profoundly large. It's quite rare that either of the two main candidates receives less than 1/3rd of the vote in any given state. It's also quite common for a state of a certain "color" to elect other politicians from the opposite party (as mayor, governor, senate, etc.). Add to that the fact that voter turnout hasn't gone over 63% in the last 100 years, and it's easy to see how asinine it is to group together all citizens of a certain state.
I despise the red state blue state concept. It damages our individual identity, our state pride, and our comradery with our fellow Americans. There are plenty of conservatives in New England, plenty of liberals in the South, and tons of moderates all over the place. I'm not from a red state or a blue state, I'm from an American state! So please stop over-generalizing and assigning labels to us!
by klopek007 March 3, 2010
Get the red state blue state mug.The Amercian location in which most people decided to vote for Bush because they care about the community and are smart enouf too understand that the key to having freedom is telling other people what they should and shouldn't not do.
How can you not support the war in Iraq? Our boys are dying for your freedom and safety and oil? It doesn't matter if you don't agree with the terms of war we're in it now so give them your unconditional love and don't think twice about it! I'm not going to sit back and let things like freedom and education get in thee way of what my grandmother told me her interpretation of the bible means. I believe in god and he loves us!
by #14012008011413070515180705 May 24, 2005
Get the U.S. red States mug.A state that has proven to be solidly Republican in voting for the President of the United States.
Typically conservative and rural in nature, not necessarily a new Republican stronghold.
Antonym: Blue State
Typically conservative and rural in nature, not necessarily a new Republican stronghold.
Antonym: Blue State
Wyoming and Alabama are the reddest of the red states.
You can't even associate with an Atheist or a Liberal if you wish to win in a Red States.
You can't even associate with an Atheist or a Liberal if you wish to win in a Red States.
by Paul W-S December 30, 2004
Get the Red State mug.A blue state where enough of the population has been disenfranchised by the New Jim Crow as to hand power to a tyrannical oligarchy known as the Republican Party.
by Queen Buttrix January 23, 2021
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