AOL.com had a poll on their front page the last couple of days (gone today) as to whether the Bush victory was a mandate or not. I thought it rather interesting that the mandate poll results were in line with the actual voting poll results.
Cruising amongst some blogs this evening, I find a variety of discussion around the election, and one in particular about the red vs. blue states.
If one were to find fault (as to who created this red vs. blue debate) I think it comes back to us. Yes, some one person or group in the media or a political campaign did originally came up with the idea to depict the vote graphically this way. It works as a graphic. What does not work is when folks take the graphic for a reality in and of itself. The graphic takes on a life of its own. The state becomes Red, or all its people become Blue, and the generalizations take over with a new twist on "us vs. them".
Let's step back a minute folks.
Some one may have started it but by our own choice of words we can either continue this discussion in this way, or change it. We have much more in common than the differences between Red and Blue.
Let's be respectful of the differences amongst us.
We can choose not to talk of Red or Blue and focus on the real issues, the real problems we face. Our revolutionary ancestors would be turning over in their graves if they could hear this Red/Blue thing going on. United we stand, divided we fall.
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