Measuring success in a blue state is based on how many federal dollars you can ring out of taxpayers. They are extremely successful with n taking money off red state tables.
So, they are probably laughing at this definition of success. I hear them often talking about how successful socialism is as they us the armed forces as their example. Echo chambers are not helpful.
Actually to be honest, red states are the takers of the federal money. Blue states give much more then they are given back:
https://www.moneygeek.com/living/states-most-reliant-federal-government/
Poor New Jersey gets screwed big time. They are ranked last.