According to a recent study, people in the following Blue cities feel the most stressed every day:  Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Miami and Chicago.  Having lived in Miami and Chicago, I can understand the stress one must endure in big cities:   long commutes, lack of civility, high crimes, affordable housing,  etc.  Quality of life for someone in LA  making $50,000  a year doesn’t compare to a person making the same salary in the Heartland.   As a result, Blue city miasma may sway the 2020 elections.  https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/06/07/angelenos-most-stressed/ 

 

Let’s say you’re an ordinary citizen driving past expensive mansions, high rises, and resorts in these cities,   The starkly uneven distribution of wealth enrages and frustrates the average  working person.  They want higher taxes on the rich to pay for free  medical care, education., minimum wage, etc.

If they want cheaper housing and an easier life,  they could pull up stakes and move to Podunk ,Iowa.  But they don’t want to do that.  Way too boring, right? No excitement or culture. And not nearly so many job opportunities.    Blue city  voters  want to have their cake and eat it too.

Conversely, a person in a flyover country Red city  can afford to buy a house a few minutes from work.  Yes, there are mansions and country clubs nearby.  But in small towns, you  needn’t be wealthy to play golf, go boating at a nearby lake , take a walk in the park. and enjoy more leisure time.

Of course, there are small Blue cities scattered across the country in college  towns.  But generally speaking, Red  city voters tend to be  more conservative because they like things just the way they are.    In fact, they worry that higher taxes and more government freebies will take away some of the things they enjoy.

Okay, I’m not a  political pundit like James Careville or Karl Rove.  I’m  just an  independent octogenarian making a few observations about our very divided political climate.  It’s easy to understand why the East and West coasts are Blue, while most of the Heartland is Red.  I have no idea what’s going to happen in the 2020 election.  I guess it all depends on how people are feeling at the time, and how stressed out they are with their lives.