Princeton paints nation as "Purple America" based on election results

Princeton University ^ | November 2004 | Robert J. Vanderbei

[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.

[parcel_of_rogues]

I just put this thing in Photoshop and redid the color balance, by pulling the slider all the way to 'red'. Funny thing is this puts 'purple' on the middle of the 'scale' where it belongs. Needless to say the map looks a whole lot redder.

I can't post pictures. Please someone with Photoshop and a picture server, give this a try. We are definitely being scammed.

[rintense]

I live in a 100% red county.

[mlocher]

some guy just earned a phd with this map

[international american]

Was this a creation of "The Artist Formerly Known As Princeton"??

[maine-iac7]

Bush and the Republicans kicked major socialist @ss last Tuesday.

THIS is what we must now get on, big time.

Half the democrats don't realized their party has been, systematically - and with malice aforethought - infiltrated and taken over by the socialists.

I infiltrated, as an investigative reporter, a meeting of the D.S.O.C. (Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee) "No Press allowed", back in 1980..where they lamented their great White Knight's primary loss (Teddy-boy) and how that weakened them too much to be able to come out in the open as a party. The new strategy - The main speaker was our state's Senate majority leader! - he stood with a card in hand and said: "As you know, I, like you, am a card carrying member of the socialist party, but we are not now strong enough to come out in the open. We must, as I am, infiltrate and take over the democratic party" ...He went on to emphasize they they must also gain control of pension funds - hmm. Wonder if this had anything to do with all the pension funds that just dried up?

I'm going to dig up that feature I wrote and start writing letters to the editors all over my now blue state...and send copies to Rush, Hannity, etc -

If we can jump onto an 'education' program to get the word out, that large faction of the democratic party that aren't socialist - those that still are against abortion, gay marriage, for God, etc., will realize that Zell is right. That would split the party in two. Many, I believe, would come over to our side. Many, perhaps would try to take back their party.

Either way, the numbers would be so small on both sides, compared to ours - it would be many decades before we ever have to face such "at the brink" threats to our freedoms again.

It's time to educate the country and the 'good' democrats where the bear does his doody in the buckwheat.

What say you? (plagiarism/O'Reilly ;o) )

[Earthdweller]

I like this map! As an artist I frequently squint my eyes to get a true overall picture. I don't see overall purple. I see burgundy(which is a red base with slight blue) and a red burgundy at that. Purple is an even mixture of blue and red. This is not the case here. This map looks even less blue than the first ones that came out. Pointing to an overall color purple is the stretch of the truth that the eye can catch.

[Sleeping Hampster]

Here is a Red & Blue reversed image - It looks WAY Different.

[maine-iac7]

Did anyone hear what Geraldine Ferraro said the other day -about the red states, in essence, better wake up because, without the blue parts - we couldn't make it.

Hmmm, wonder she puts on her table to eat?

[bozzman007]

If you stare real hard in one spot, a 3-D image of George W. Bush appears!

[MissAmericanPie]

If all the bogus votes were removed from New Mexico, Penn, and all the other battle ground states the blue areas would have been red also. So no map is truly accurate due to demonrat vote fraud.

[Earthdweller]

Yuck!! What ever possessed you to make our map so ugly by reversing it? Now that one is overall purple.

[Sleeping Hampster]

I thought that the balance was shifted to mostly Demo because of the way we see the blue/red combination. The blue dominates the red.

Compare the two pictures - it is a big change, and the color selection is very important in the way I see it.

I like blue!

[steveegg]

Nice (especially the psychedelic version).

[steveegg]

Nothing like wrecking their game :-)

[q_an_a]

can you say nuance? they will never accept the outcome so they will change the rules. PC at work.

[freddiedavis]

i prefer red and blue

[cogitator]

Here's a state-by-state electoral vote proportional map:

[cogitator]

That's good! (blue and red reversed map). It really makes the voting patterns stand out.

I want to know why the Mississippi River Valley, from Minnesota to Louisiana, tends Democratic.

[weegee]

Zogbyism PING!

[weegee]

I wonder if the color switch was done to avoid the communist tinge of being called "The Red Menace". Also the left can insist the we are "Red Meat" Republicans whereas there are still outposts of "Blue Collar" Democrats.

I consider myself a true blue American who votes Republican.