In a new Gallup survey, 9 of the top 10 U.S. markets with the highest job creation are in red states, states with a Republican governor. While 7 of the lowest 10 markets in job creation are in blue states, those with Democratic governors.

Gallup surveyed workers in the 50 largest metro areas about whether employers were hiring or letting people go during 2011. The spread is what Gallup calls their Job Creation Index.

Oklahoma City, OK led their list. Although, coming on the heels of abysmal March job creation numbers from the Labor Department, it's faint praise. Gallup noted, "Oklahoma City led because of the relatively low percentage of workers (12%) who said their employer was letting workers go or decreasing the size of its workforce."

In this reporter's opinion, government doesn't create jobs, employers do. Nevertheless it's interesting that so many of the markets which reported relatively strong job creation were in states such as Oklahoma, Florida, and Texas that generally rank low in taxes, and, yes, government services.

Even with Pittsburgh, the Rust Belt city near the top of Gallup's list, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has made job creation and tax relief priorities.

These results would seem to support the GOP's contention that lower taxes encourage job creation and economic growth.

Even more troubling for Dems, the markets where the most folks reported employers were laying off workers were in blue states. Combined with increasing agony at the gas pump, soaring food costs, and depressed--and depressing--real estate values, this could potentially mean more trouble for the O Team if this turns out to be a pocketbook election, as many observers expect.

Conversely, if Obama manages to carry these states despite job losses, it may indicate that the nation has reached a tipping point at which more people prefer government benefits to a job.

-William Tate is an award-winning journalist and author