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Princeton paints nation as "Purple America" based on election results
Princeton University ^ | November 2004 | Robert J. Vanderbei

Posted on 11/09/2004 4:54:32 AM PST by mhking

Using County-by-County election return data from USA Today together with County boundary data from the US Census' Tiger database we produced the following graphic depicting the results. Of course, blue is for the democrats, red is for the republicans, and green is for all other. Each county's color is a mix of these three color components in proportion to the results for that county.

Counties shown in black represent either missing election data or a mismatch between the US Census data and the USA Today data. For example, the New England states' election return data is given for each municipality and/or district rather than for each county. Hence, it couldn't be easily matched with the county boundaries.

Click anywhere on the map for a larger version.
Click image full-sized version


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: campus; election; electoralcollege; politicalscience; princeton; purple; voterdemographics
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To: mhking
So this is where it leads. If you can't make a case for your position, simply "muddy" the waters?
Nice try. Clarity has never been the 'Rats' strong suit; or that of their academic flying monkeys.
21 posted on 11/09/2004 5:18:42 AM PST by Publius6961 (The most abundant things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.)
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To: mhking
*Hence* it's still RED. Try again.
22 posted on 11/09/2004 5:18:51 AM PST by Miss Behave (Now I have to go out and find a funny new tagline. It's so HARD now that Rice Butt's gone.)
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To: mhking
This is a fascinating and useful map. It better deals with the 5% spread in popular vote and the actual electoral vote. Thanks. Excelllent post.

The belt of red from the Texas coast up to Canada gives an idea of how totally the liberals have lost the flyover rural and sub/ex urban folks.

The blue before had appeared to be the Northeast, Great Lakes, and West Coast.

It appears that it also has the great river basins (Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri) and the coal belt part of the old rust belt (which makes some kind of sense.)

By and large, though, it's urban versus non-urban.

I'm convinced more and more that the great divide in our nation is driven by the media -- the blue is caused by a combination of national media teaming with the majority of urban print/tv media in the urban centers.

The war is between new media and old media.

23 posted on 11/09/2004 5:18:54 AM PST by xzins ((Now that the election's over; I need a new tagline...))
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To: kipita
The bigger version looks even better.

What bigger version?
I've been looking for a bigger version of the blue-red map for days.

24 posted on 11/09/2004 5:22:04 AM PST by Publius6961 (The most abundant things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.)
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To: steveegg

And a poor one at that. I notice that in the legend, the "blue" extends far closer to the halfway point (indeed, almost right up to it) than the "red".




It would be interesting to see how it looks with the bias in the other direction, and with an even-handed color scheme.

Bottom line: the map is reddest in the most sparsely populated areas, and areas with declining populations (the Plains States), but purple in the fastest growing parts of the country, and Bluest in the rust belt midwest and hollowed out New England.


25 posted on 11/09/2004 5:22:16 AM PST by Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek
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To: mhking

This link yields even better maps. The one at the end is the same map that you had posted, just adjusted for voting population.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/


26 posted on 11/09/2004 5:22:16 AM PST by saveliberty (Liberal= in need of therapy, but would rather ruin lives of those less fortunate to feel good)
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To: MojoWire
red blue

When I worked at P&G research ctr years ago while in college, I learned from one of the lifers there that in their test marketing of colors that "blue" was the color of "power." (Many of their cleaning products come in blue packaging; Tide, an exception, was packaged sort of orangish.)

Wish I knew what red was. It'd be interesting to compare.

27 posted on 11/09/2004 5:22:30 AM PST by xzins ((Now that the election's over; I need a new tagline...))
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To: mhking

There wasn't enough blue on the map this election to turn it anything but Crimson. Purple my happy little butt!


28 posted on 11/09/2004 5:23:57 AM PST by LakeLady (It makes this girl so proud to be one of the mid-underestimated millions of dumb Americans.)
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To: mhking

There is much much more red-purple than blue purple, so...the point still be proven. :D


29 posted on 11/09/2004 5:25:06 AM PST by hellinahandcart
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To: LakeLady

Oops, forgot the most important word. Should have read...


turn it CRIMSON (TIDE, that is!)

LakeLady


30 posted on 11/09/2004 5:25:30 AM PST by LakeLady (It makes this girl so proud to be one of the mid-underestimated millions of dumb Americans.)
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To: mhking

How cute! They're in denial.


31 posted on 11/09/2004 5:25:31 AM PST by Constitution Day
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To: Publius6961

The bigger version when you click the one posted.


32 posted on 11/09/2004 5:30:37 AM PST by kipita (Rebel – the proletariat response to Aristocracy and Exploitation.)
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To: MojoWire

I disagree. Red is "Hot and Alive". Blue is "Cold and Dead". The reversal of colors is entirely in line with the current state of socialism around the world (cold and dying) and the trend towards conservatism and the prosperity that accompanies classical liberal economic regimes (i.e., what the Democrats refer to as hard right ideology - - -LOL).

Let's see Republicans live up to the "Hot and Alive" implications of Red. Having defeated the 20th century "reds", what better way to seal the victory than take over and transform their "defining color"?

As for Blue, the Republicans should claim that back too.
"True Blue", "Blue Skies", and other measures of faithfulness and optimism.

Solution: let the Democrats have Yellow. A fair allocation of the primary colors, no?





Years ago the Republicans were always, always portrayed as BLUE on national election maps and the Democrats were always portrayed as red.

In fact, several networks still had the Republicans as blue and Dems red during the 2000 election.

Somewhere between 2000 and 2004 the networks got together and decided that red is more harsh and would likely turn the public off to Democrats.

Not to mention that red stands for being communist, which the Dems can surely relate.

Seriously, I think this switch was made by network lib anchors who will do anything they can to try and put a better light on Democrats.


33 posted on 11/09/2004 5:31:22 AM PST by Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek
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To: beyond the sea

Good Catch, BTS! :) Hmmm.... "The Color Purple" also comes to mind. However, in certain churches, "purple" is the color of redemption and forgiveness.


34 posted on 11/09/2004 5:33:41 AM PST by Alia
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To: MojoWire

Good point. When and BY WHOM EXACTLY was the color switch made to RED = REPUBLICANS and BLUE = DEMOCRATS.

THAT would be a fun fact to figure out!

I wonder if Dan Rather was involved? :-)


35 posted on 11/09/2004 5:39:48 AM PST by TaxachusettsMan (Mainstream Media Incest: Why walk across the street when you can walk across the studio?)
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To: mhking

Of course it is. They are trying to make themselves "feel" better! LOL
My county is still RED though...across the top of PA!! YEAH!!


36 posted on 11/09/2004 5:46:17 AM PST by Cricket24
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To: Publius6961

The graphic on the left is a nonlinear color scale ranging from 70% or more Republican in red and 70% or more Democrat in blue.

The graphic on the right is a cartogram adjusted for the populations within each county.

37 posted on 11/09/2004 5:55:28 AM PST by SuperSonic (The American people have spoken. Four More Years!! Four More Years!!)
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To: mhking

What color is 110% Democrat? I was looking closely at Milwaukee, Cleveland and Philadelphia and couldn't find it.


38 posted on 11/09/2004 5:56:25 AM PST by AmishDude
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To: mhking

Denial is a river that runs through Princeton.


39 posted on 11/09/2004 5:57:03 AM PST by Miss Behave (Now I have to go out and find a funny new tagline. It's so HARD now that Rice Butt's gone.)
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To: mhking
Gotta give 'em "A" for effort

- LOL

but I'd mark it an "F" still -

40 posted on 11/09/2004 5:57:18 AM PST by maine-iac7 ( Pray without doubt..."Ask and you SHALL receive")
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