The left is never straightforward with their motives and intentions and the right needs to become this way to have a snowball's chance in hell to really turn things around. By pursuing peaceful secession the red States can start to regain the upper hand. The goal should be to put the left on the defensive and get them to threaten or even take military action. Anytime military action is taken or threatened strongly, the red States should just back off then loudly demand peace. Never take actions like the old confederacy to fully secede or to militarily oppose the federal government unless it became absolutely necessary to where they were threatening massive loss of life. Most leftist normies aren't going to be onboard for military attacks against red States, it will destroy morale on both the left and in the military over time while simultaneously increasing morale in the red states, assuming no major attacks that kill many people happen against them, once that started happening obviously things would change but I don't think it would get that far. Eventually this ongoing dynamic may get them to make concessions like proposing to hold actual fair elections. The true elites may eventually decide to move on and find another country to terrorize.