Thursday, November 6, 2008

Two Americas


The term "Two Americas" was coined by the great slip-and-fall Senator from North Carolina, John Edwards.  We can now see graphic proof of his idea in this county-by-county electoral map from the recent presidential election.  The map is the work of Mark Newman.  Notice how the blue is mostly limited to urban areas of high population density:   the northeast, the west coast, the tip of Florida, the upper midwest (Chicago, etc.)     This is one America, comprised of upper middle class and upper class white liberal elites,  service union members,   city dwellers who do not depend on cars, the entertainment industry, the pornography industry, etc.  The second America,  the Red America, is the rest of us.   We are also know as bitter clingers, or, in the olden days, the silent majority.

(Please also notice the correct use of the word comprised.)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't know that you'd moved to Kansas. I could have sworn you lived in a wealthy, upper-middle class suburb in New York, and that you grew up in a wealthy, upper-middle class suburb of Philadelphia. And that you were white. And extremely well educated. And Jewish. My mistake. Also, (though it's likely that I'm just reacting to a typo)....you impoverished midwesterners depend on the entertainment industry, as well as your SUVs? Also, if you're the majority, why did the Obama win, by a large margin, not only the electoral vote, but the popular vote as well (should the electoral college be determined by square miles, as opposed to human population?)? Why did this supposed majority stay silent? Lack of education? I'm confused.

Anonymous said...

The greatness of America is that you, and Mr. Edwards, are wrong.

There is one United States of America, and its great and varying populace has a plethora of views on how it should be run. You might prefer to think that the "red" part is better, less elitist, more realistic even, than the blue part, but I say they're exactly the same.

In the end everyone votes for the person or party they think will benefit them most. What's more, that map is not very representative of how the country really is. Many red areas had a large minority of blue voters, and indeed, many blue areas had a large minority of red voters.

One nation, divided only on who we think will best secure our continued greatness.

Desman said...

Yes, I live in NY. But in the RED part of NY. You will be happy to know that the blues are steadily encroaching on our territory.

Blues. Now there's a word with many meanings.