Although I love the new balance of Blue and Red in our electoral map, as a picture of the real America, much less as a picture of the change-to-come, it seems far from the reality. Each state actually has major scattered mixtures of red and of blue. But, As Obama has been saying since the onset (rough quote): "We are not a white america, we are not a black America, we are the United States of America."
I would like to see that mix. I would like to see the blue and the red spots on the map within each state. I would like people in each state to know the vast mixture within their own state. The televised news has that information; many channels would blow up a state to look at the red, blue and still grey/unknown spots in states under discussion. The information is out there. Woudn't that be amore healing and forward-looking image for the country?
If we had such a map, and you stood back a bit, what do you want to bet that it would look purple?
Above is a blank map: get out your crayons!
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Robin Robinson
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Risa Denenberg
Juliet Waters
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Right now the electoral map looks like a pixelated digital image of the United States, a picture taken at the wrong resolution and stretched too much, exposing a lack of detail in the underlying photo. In this case, detail that should have been there. Detail that matters.
However, an interim map, still pixelated but with finer pixels, would, I think, be heuristic. It would be a version of truth that could be better used to promote "purple", not only by visually demonstrating the blue/red-ness of people who are our actual neighbors, but more important by giving people the experience, the oportunity to do the visual transmutation themselves: To step back from their individual state-identity and see the red/blue merging to people. If you will: a dynamic visual metaphore of Obama.
Professor, I am honored by your approbation and your rating.
Thank you both for coming by and commenting!
Is it just a coincidence that your favorite color happens to be purple?
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Perhaps all the new media may resolve that issue but not until we get some resonable liberal voices on talk radio.
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However, such unevenness appears built into even the current system. Certainly the distribution of presidential candidates already has a similar bypassing of some states, based not on population but on past voting records. For example, I'd heard that during the campaign season Obama had not set foot in Oregon, a "sure" state. That avoidance is not based on the particular characteristics of a state, the supposedly different interests that underly the reliance on the electoral college. It is yet another phenomenon.
What do others think?
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Here's to a more purple world!