On Nov. 3, a wave of blue appeared across the United States map. The American people showed up on Election Day to share their disillusionment with the state of politics in our country. Unexpected seats were flipped in traditionally conservative states such as Kansas, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. But one state stood out to me in particular: Texas.
A blue Texas was a sight I did not anticipate, but one I had hoped for, in part due to my love for Red, White & Royal Blue.
Casey McQuiston wrote the queer romance novel as a response to the 2016 election. It encompasses the sadness of seeing a world that does not accept you, while also maintaining joy and hope for a changing society. The book follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the president of the United States, and his enemies-to-lovers relationship with the prince of England, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. The two are forced to spend time together under a friendly façade after an international PR nightmare at the royal wedding, but they eventually grow to understand and care for one another.
Despite the story focusing on this personal narrative of forbidden love and unpacking identity amid global pressure, McQuisten also highlights politics. Alex is a poli-sci major who wishes to help his mother as she vies for reelection. His primary contribution to the campaign is the Texas binder, a plan to turn his beloved home state “beautiful, unmistakable Lake LBJ blue.”
The 2019 novel was adapted by Prime Video in 2023, starring Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, with Uma Thurman as the first woman president in US history. The movie was a huge success, with massive social media engagement (and countless fan edits), garnering a sequel. Titled Red, White & Royal Wedding, the second film will likely be released in 2027 and feature a brand-new story. Though there is no official sequel to the novel, McQuiston’s newest epistolary novella, Red, White & Royal Blue: The Private Correspondence, will be available for purchase in December and likely inspire some of the movie’s plot.
Despite the love the film received, it was also criticized for not being realistic. An international political gay sex scandal is understandably a big plot point that might shock readers and viewers. Maybe we’re not there yet as a society. Another element that was called out many times was Texas voting Democrat and playing an instrumental part in electing a woman to office. As Harrison Hill wrote for the Los Angeles Review of Books, “McQuiston also indulges in a host of other political fantasies…Texas is in play.”
This recent election showed that it is possible; Texas doesn’t have to be a bastion of conservatism. Texas can be blue.
I opened X first thing in the morning on Nov. 4, eager to see the result of the midterm election and people’s response to the new political landscape. On that day, I scrolled through dozens of posts referencing Red, White & Royal Blue, Alex Claremont-Diaz, and the famous Texas binder.
I was impressed by how much people were discussing the novel in regard to the election and the impact it had. I read countless comments from people who developed hope due to this story, rejecting the notion of a blue vote not counting in a majority red state. I even saw a rumor about Joshua Rush, a former Disney actor who worked with Texas Senator-elect Talarico, having been influenced in his political career because of Red, White & Royal Blue. His LinkedIn profile confirms his work as a campaign press secretary, and his Letterboxd proves he’s seen the film, so maybe the rumor is true.
These past few days on the internet have highlighted one of my favorite parts of pop culture and entertainment. It is easy to undermine stories through this belief that fiction is unreal, intangible, and, as such, not impactful. That could not be further from the truth. Moments like these remind me of the importance that media can have. Stories can show a different reality and encourage people to dream big and work hard towards those dreams. And I can’t imagine a more powerful force than that hope.