Well both are related to racism , so I could see how you would equate the two . Red States wanted to leave because their well qualified president had a certain color of skin . They demanded a birth certificate . Now there is a leader with zero political experience who is endorsed by white supremacists and Blue States want out because a party that has become categorically corrupted by corporate policy to the point of denying climate change is planning to undo several decades of environmental , social , and global progress . But besides all the opinionated shit that people with biases will shout until out of breath trying to dispute , there is an objective fundamental difference between the secession wishes of Red States and California the latter could logistically pull off a secession . When red states talk about secession it ' s a wishful fantasy that nobody takes seriously because it ignores basic reality . That ' s not the case in California . California is one of three states with the economy , agriculture , and manpower to sustain itself . California pays more to the federal government than any other state , and is one of the least dependent states in the country . Our GDP is 6 th in the entire world . No red state besides Texas has a fighting chance to survive on its own . Most red states , despite all their blustering , are some of the most dependent entities suckling on the federal government ' s teat . That ' s why there wasn ' t a single referendum to secede during Obama ' s campaign . But there will be one in California in 2018 .