You shouldn't be convinced. Republicans are lying when they say they want to cut the deficit or pay off the debt. You only have to look at the Bush years and Trump's 2016-2020 administration to see increasing deficits every single year, due to tax cuts rather than any sort of spending problem. When they are in power, they dismantle good government and regulations and redistribute American wealth from the poor and middle class up to the wealthy.
I lived in a very red state though I definitely don't fit that banner.
I'd warn you against trying to lump anyone in a party, or that generally votes for one party, under one big umbrella. I know republican voters that actually care about cutting the deficit. I also know republican voters that align that way for only one topic that matters most to them, abortion for example.
All republicans aren't the same just like all democrats aren't the same. For better or worse our system only really offers us two choices - that doesn't mean that there are only two types of Americans with one of only two specific set of views.
https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/natio...
The US has a tax problem with billionaires. We don't have a spending issue.