America: Not as red and blue as you think!

[wordmunger]

Found this on BoingBoing (http://www.boingboing.net/2004/11/03/purple_haze.html):

Reader Jeff Culver in Seattle says:

"I was thinking today about how the 'red v. blue' states graphic is really misleading considering the slim margins that the candidates won some of those states by, so I sat down and created the map that's attached. In the dozens of hours I've been watching the news I haven't seen one like it, but thought that you and the BoingBoing readers might find it interesting. I think it definitely portrays our fellow states far differently than the extreme way we've been seeing to date."

For those on this site who've been advocating a blue-state secession, this might help to show you that we're not as red-and-blue as you might think.

[stubeeef]

just for contrast, I do like yours better and is probably the most accurate one I've seen. should probably be patented.

[stubeeef]

cnn is using a similar method.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IA/P/00/index.html

[Thomas Veil]

Well, whether secession will get serious consideration is up to the people. I admit it's not likely (right now), but it is possible. At the very least, the fact that we are even considering it says a lot about the current state of our country.

I'm well aware of the "purple states" argument. All I can say is that when the American colonies split from England, there were plenty of people who thought it was the wrong thing to do...who sided with the British crown...who said, "Oh come on, it's not that bad. Can't we just learn to get along?"

But the situation had became so intolerable that those who felt repressed had to do something. If they'd said, "Oh wait, we have a number of people in our colony who don't feel the way we do," we'd never have fought the Revolutionary War. We'd still be colonies.

[pseudobrit]

Well, whether secession will get serious consideration is up to the people. I admit it's not likely (right now), but it is possible. At the very least, the fact that we are even considering it says a lot about the current state of our country.

I'm well aware of the "purple states" argument. All I can say is that when the American colonies split from England, there were plenty of people who thought it was the wrong thing to do...who sided with the British crown...who said, "Oh come on, it's not that bad. Can't we just learn to get along?"

But the situation had became so intolerable that those who felt repressed had to do something. If they'd said, "Oh wait, we have a number of people in our colony who don't feel the way we do," we'd never have fought the Revolutionary War. We'd still be colonies.

It was only about a third of the colonists who supported the revolution. Another third were loyalists.

[stubeeef]

the fact that we are even considering it says a lot about the current state of our country.


Please, "we"? Can you expound on that beyond the retoric of the disenfrancshised?

[wordmunger]

There is also a purple "county by county" map here (http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/purple_america_2004b_small.gif). So you can see that even at the county level, there is still quite a diversity of opinions, even in rural areas. I believe the country will be able to heal -- maybe it wasn't ever that sick to begin with.

[Ugg]

There is also a purple "county by county" map here (http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/purple_america_2004b_small.gif). So you can see that even at the county level, there is still quite a diversity of opinions, even in rural areas. I believe the country will be able to heal -- maybe it wasn't ever that sick to begin with.

The county I am in voted 67% for Kerry, 28% for gw and the rest for Nader. There is a very big contingent of ultra conservative people here as well as some extreme left wingers. I think it would be more accurate to look at where people exist on the political scale than who they voted for. I think the country is ill and the illness is chronic. I guess the next four years will give us a better idea of who is right.