This article on Wikipedia lists the net migration for each state, that is, the number of people moving into the state minus the number of people moving out. The states with the highest plus, that is, the most people moving in compared to moving out, are Florida, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, and South Caroline. The states with the biggest minus, that is, the most people moving out compared to moving in, are California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Do you notice the pattern? People are leaving liberal states and going to conservative states.
Of course their reasons vary, but a strong element is that people are moving away from states with high taxes, high crime, and few job opportunities. But the funny thing is, when they arrive in their new state, they promptly vote for politicians who are trying to make their new state just like their old state. Apparently they don't grasp that the reason for all the problems in their old state was liberal policies. It's like they think it's just luck or something. And so they look around their new home and say, "Wow, this place is great! Low crime, low taxes, lots of job opportunities, clean streets, friendly people, lots of freedom. Why, this place would be just about perfect if we could just bring in some tough business regulation, more social programs, tolerance for homeless people, and of course hate speech laws to shut up those annoying conservatives and Christians!"
I call this "the Colorado Effect". People fled liberal policies in California and moved to conservative Colorado ... where they promptly voted in Democrats and are turning the state liberal. Soon Colorado will have all the same problems that they fled from California, and they'll be baffled why.
© 2020 by Jay Johansen
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