Your second graphic is obviously far superior!
USA Today's 2000 map has long struck me as a massive psychological "coup" to undermine the old public understanding that reds (Communists) and pinkos (fellow travelers) are bad, while blues (American patriots) are good.
Looked at another way, it seems the MSM and the academic left want the public still to think that red equals "bad" and blue equals "good" -- only it's now the Patriots who are the baddies while the Leftists are the good guys.
Why give in to this abuse of the English language? I say we should fight back to reclaim proper usage. So every time there's a FReeper post that refers to conservatives as "reds," let's call for a correction.
I agree, but I always felt that the coup was in getting average Americans to see just how clearly the ruling elite is concentrated in such few areas, while the masses (massive masses) across the country are far more numerous than the rulers would have us think.
That map was a wake-up call for conservatives, not a psyop to subliminally link us to historic communist oppressors.
-PJ