In the days following the election, we all saw maps of the United States with each state colored the way its Electoral votes were cast: red for Bush or blue for Kerry. A red smear covers the heartland and the southwest, bordered by blue on the west coast, the north-east and the upper mid-west. Republicans say that the crimson tide is evidence of a broad base support for their policies, while Democrats fear they could be even more out of touch with middle-America than they thought.
Look at another map, one colored by each county’s overall vote, or even better, shaded according to the popular vote, and you will be surprised with a healthy mix of red and blue-a Purple America-from sea to shining sea.
While our lavender nation might give certain social conservatives pause, the rest of us can take heart in such newfound unity. Most states had at least 25 percent, if not more, of their voters supporting the candidate who lost there. It is important to remember that the President was only reelected by a three percent margin. Although he received more popular votes than any President in history, there were also more votes cast against him than any candidate in history.
It’s time for the punditry to stop trying to dupe the public into a partisan worldview; There are not two masses of fanatics facing off across a vast political and geographic gulf. This fantasy is exacerbated by our electoral procedures. First, the Electoral College and its winner-take-all system effectively disenfranchises millions of voters whose preference in the presidential decision is not considered. Additionally, it creates the appearance of an overwhelming victory when this is not the case. Second, Congressional districts are being gerrymandered to elect the most virulent partisans.
The answers are simple. Reform the Electoral college and create a bi-partisan redistricting commission that would create fair districts not based on politics but instead on population. Though, as the many attempts have shown, this reform will not be simple, it will eventually be more efficient. Bi-partisan redistricting will eliminate the incumbent and party-safe districts that prevent real choice and keep the House stocked with virulent partisans.
While enacting these reforms would be a lengthy process, the President can make efforts of his own to bridge this divide; and the onus does lie on him, because after all, he won. Reaching out to Democratic leaders to focus on consensus policy instead of a purely conservative agenda, or perhaps allowing the Democrats to field a compromise bill on one of their pet issues could result in a more effective government. The President can acknowledge the reality of purple America, or live out his fantasy of a solid, scarlet-nation backing all of his radical policies.
