Robert J. Vanderbei has created a county-by-county red-blue-purple map of the continental US. I find it hopeful as there is a lot of purple (50/50, Rep/Dem).

The NY Times has published some charts looking at electoral voting from 1940 until 2000. Jon Udell animated them and it's a fascinating view of our elections. He provides the animation in several formats.

We lost. We move on. There is hope that Congress and the Senate will keep President Bush reigned in as, even if they share the same party, many face reelection in two years and more in four. This is a good thing about our democracy.

Bush won by something like 3.5 million in popular vote. Not a mandate in my mind but not insignificant either. I don't think it reflects direct support of his policies. I think it reflects fear of our future and this odd idea that we shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. George W. got us in this mess, so he is the best choice to get us out. The fact that he might bury us even deeper in global isolation and that his policies might stoke terrorist attacks doesn't seem to enter into play for these people.

I am going to spend the next four years trying to talk to some of my right leaning friends and relatives about why exactly they voted for Bush. I'm really going to try not to yell at them. I will try to listen. And I will try to insert some facts.

It's really hard to believe what has happened. I am happy for Minnesota going blue and electing more dems to the house. But the end result is four more years of the same war mongering and repressive tax policies.

We will survive as a country. I don't doubt that. George is a blip on our political spectrum and even more of a blip in terms of the history of mankind and a really tiny speck of dust if we go all the way back to the big bang.

Peace all. Show your love and compassion to all Republicans as they gotta be suffering more than we are to think George W. can help them.


- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 11:24 PM [to Del.icio.us]