>>510685120They turn red because the culture and policies are genuinely reflected within the electorate. However, the problem is that America is culturally centrist—moderate, perhaps slightly right-leaning at present—but overwhelmingly fiscally and pragmatically liberal when it comes to policy. This is why there is always support for higher minimum wages, abortion rights, and dense housing or public transportation. These are left-leaning policies that one can observe even in places like Texas, which in turn attracts more Democrats to move in.
There is no evidence to support the claim that this is what Democratic cities are based on. Meanwhile, Republican politicians routinely betray their base, allowing the most downtrodden aspects of their cities to deteriorate. The plight of the empty steel mills that hollowed out entire towns exemplifies this: these places have had Republican representation, and yet in the 20 years since this became a problem, nothing substantive has been done to address it.