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November 7, 2004 4:02 PM

Robert J. Vanderbeiis trying to show us we're not as divided as it seems.
It's not quite the City Vs. Country conflict that you may have understood it to be in this years election. Methinks, perhaps, this extends to other political opinions as well.

Lots of great voting result visualizations are available at this blog. Including my favorite, state results, with electoral votes dictating the relative size of the state. I'm not explaining it well. Go look here.

I *promise* this'll be the last political post for a while. I know we're all wretchedly sick of it.
posted by Parannoyed (24 comments total)

That last link looks like somebody messed up Spidey's suit.

Also, haven't we seen all these maps already?
posted by Krrrlson at 4:59 PM on November 7, 2004

IS this differant than this?
posted by milovoo at 5:00 PM on November 7, 2004

I *promise*

Doesn't mean much unless you can get a few thousand other people to promise too, amigo.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:04 PM on November 7, 2004

A thousand apologies if this is a repost. I followed that link earlier, but all I can get is a "FORBIDDEN" error.
posted by Parannoyed at 5:05 PM on November 7, 2004

Also, all that distorted purple stuff is begging for a "smoker's lung" caption or something.
posted by Krrrlson at 5:06 PM on November 7, 2004

and when I said "promise" I meant I won't post political. Can't speak for the rest of you muckrakers. =)
posted by Parannoyed at 5:08 PM on November 7, 2004

How did we get as polarized as we are?

Why is it getting worse?
posted by alumshubby at 5:59 PM on November 7, 2004

Why is it getting worse? Because the media says so. The real map tells the truth. Purple.
posted by kozad at 6:41 PM on November 7, 2004

I looked at the map. There's a sea of red right where I expected it. How is this assuring to me?

I want those people politically removed from me. Or, failing that, dead. Whichever.
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:16 PM on November 7, 2004

An open letter to the red state victors.

Excerpt:
We Blues will come out of the Bush era no worse for wear, although you Reds will come out very much diminished, deeper in debt, and less able to improve your circumstances by your own powers. But because you wish to be flattered more than helped, you will be grateful for your ass fucking from the Blue-state Republican elite that is laughing behind your backs today.

We did not wish it so. We honestly did want to help.

On 2 November, you thanked us by electing a shrewd, manipulative handmaiden to corporate America who panders to you while ruthlessly exploiting your ignorance and weakness for the benefit of his patrons in the national plutocracy. There is nothing we can do about that. You won fair and square.
posted by bashos_frog at 7:50 PM on November 7, 2004

fuck the south.
posted by quonsar at 8:21 PM on November 7, 2004

I <3 quonsar. Thanks for the laugh.
posted by bashos_frog at 8:28 PM on November 7, 2004

We're gonna party like it's 1859!


posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:45 PM on November 7, 2004

This isn't a visualization, and it is a self-link, but I was curious about how the election would have shaken out if electoral votes were proportionally allocated instead of winner-take-all.
posted by Vidiot at 10:48 PM on November 7, 2004

In response to Stavros's map, I have to say it's not surprising but it is disappointing how little things change. Except Ohio. Those bastards cost us everything!
posted by The God Complex at 11:22 PM on November 7, 2004

is that 1859 map for real? wow. we need to get everyone in a magic bottle and shake up their locations.
posted by kv at 12:48 AM on November 8, 2004

Except Ohio
and Idaho.
posted by bashos_frog at 2:31 AM on November 8, 2004

I wonder if the USA would be better off amalgamating a bunch of the states. Instead of 50-odd teeny-tiny states (wtf is with Rhode Island being a state?!), divide it into about a dozen large states.

F'rinstance, I can't see that Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina are all so vastly different as to require separate states; couldn't the citizens there be just as well-served by a single state administration?

Likewise Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota. Etc.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:16 AM on November 8, 2004

~Laughs and laughs and laughs at Five Fresh Fish's suggestions. ~

Hoo Boy That's some can of worms you are opening up there. If any sort of redivision happens, it will be states breaking up into smaller states. Like Northern California breaking away from Southern California.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 1:01 PM on November 8, 2004

Yah, I know, Statehood is vital to the American mindset. But, geez, talk about massive duplication of effort. Montana has less than a million people and North Dakota has just over a half-million. Combined they don't have enough population for a decent city, yet they're independent states? Bizarro.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2004

Actually, Gravy, California now looks more disposed toward Coastal and Inland States rather than North and South.
posted by obloquy at 5:24 PM on November 8, 2004

Not to mention the county layer of governments, that's the one I've been wondering why we keep around (except that the employees of same form a self-sustaining, self-interested lobby).
posted by billsaysthis at 7:51 PM on November 8, 2004

Yah, most of Canada seems to get along pretty well with large provinces, a loose affiliation of large district-governing co-operatives/bodies/orgainzations, and city governments.

F'rinstance, I vote for: feds, provincial government, city government, and school board.

What I can and can not do are governed by same. There's nothing like a "county" controlling my property and behaviours.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:23 PM on November 8, 2004

Not to mention the county layer of governments, that's the one I've been wondering why we keep around

*boggles*

local government is the only government you have a chance in hell of having input to! in michigan, we have city/township/village government. here, every locality runs its own election, and reports its totals to the county. i can stroll into my township offices anytime during business hours and tell the supervisor he/she is a genius or a moron as the case may be. try that at the county building, the state capitol or the white house. bzzzzt. deduct 10 points and return to remedial civics for a semester.
posted by quonsar at 8:10 AM on November 9, 2004