Red States, Blue States?

With the talk of whether President Barack Obama is a Socialist, it’s no wonder the country is confused. Some ofthe confusion began when NBC’s late Tim Russert made the switch on national TV in advance of the 2000 election. Prior to that, Republican states had been shown on network election maps in blue, with Democratic states in red.

 

In 1980, CBS showed President Ronald Reagan’s states as deep a blue as a California swimming pool. Jimmy Carter’s small haul of states was an embarrassed red. When Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York went blue, Dan Rather went green. In 1984, the map went almost all blue again, as Reagan romped to a second landslide victory.

 

Beginning in 2000, the vision of red state Republicans and blue state Democrats was burned into our minds with the 34-day wait for resolution by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore.

 

It’s time to switch colors back. Around the world, conservative parties’ color is blue. And liberals—oh alright—call yourselves progressives if you insist— are red. It’s the color of Labour in Britain, Liberals in Canada, and the SPD in Germany. The Left is red for a very good reason. It represents revolution. Go see Les Mis if you doubt it.

 

President Obama should be saluted for reaching out to voters in red states and blue states. Not for him the vicious view of a Michael Moore, who wondered why terrorists would want to kill so many blue state voters on 9/11.

 

Let’s hope both parties will make their best cases to Americans as Americans. E Pluribus Unum should recognize no division. As the victory of Prop. 8 showed in California this time, and the marriage amendment in Ohio proved last time, voters are entirely capable of making differing judgments on men and measures. It’s time they were treated with more respect.

 

Robert Morrison is a senior policy analyst at the Family Research Council