Look around. Do you see fewer smiles and laughter?

[Warpy]

19. I live in NM where we saw the disaster coming a mile away

so there's not the widespread anger,/anxiety/disappointment/feelings of betrayal/fear of admitting one has been wrong about everything that one is starting to see in red states. I've been out twice in the last week and people here are the same as always.

I have never seen a red hat, "T" flag, yard sign, bumper sticker, or anything else proclaiming to the world "I am stupid" here in NM. I think I'd have to find a way to go near the Texas border or to the southeast part of the state to find a lot of that crap and now that he's shown his true colors, maybe not at all.

I have heard from people in red states or red areas complaining about the increased grumpiness of their fellow citizens.

ETA: Be careful of taking that geographical cure across borders. Chances are you'll be at least as happy just moving to an island of sanity, areas around secualr colleges and universities are generally a good bet, even in the reddest of states. You do sound a lot like me when I was flying back and forth between NM and FL when my own parents started to need some help. I hate FL with the white hot fury of a million supernovae and their sick politics are just the strychnine cherry on the arsenic shortcake. I miss my parents but I am so very glad I on't have to go back there again. I was noticing an increased grouch level even back in the early 00s confirming my own idea that the worst thing you can do to conservatives is give them what they think they want.