WP: Red/blue divide fading? Red states now pink, or even powder blue.

[DeepModem Mom]

Pink Is the New Red
As President Bush's Popularity Falls, the Nation's Color Divide Adds a Few Hues
By Richard Morin
Monday, April 17, 2006; Page A13

It seems that only yesterday American politics appeared to have found its true colors: Republican Red and Democratic Blue, the visual shorthand for an electorate that most thought had become immutably divided by geography and partisanship into red states and blue....

***

States that were once reliably red are turning pink. Some are no longer red but a sort of powder blue. In fact, a solid majority of residents in states that President Bush carried in 2004 now disapprove of the job he is doing as president. Views of the GOP have also soured in those Republican red states.

According to the latest Post-ABC News poll, Bush's overall job approval rating now averages 43 percent in the states where he beat Democratic nominee John Kerry two years ago, while 57 percent disapprove of his performance.

Bush is even marginally unpopular, at least on average, in states where he beat Kerry with relative ease. The poll data suggest that in states where the president's victory margin was greater than five percentage points, his average job approval currently stands at 47 percent. Red? Hardly. A watery pink at best.

And in states where the president's victory margin was five percentage points or less, a clear majority of residents now disapprove of his performance. Color them light blue....

***

Blue states are still blue -- but it is a deeper, bolder and angrier blue....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600858.html?nav=hcmodule

[brooklynite]

1. How times have changed...

"The red states have turned redder," the Bush campaign manager, Ken Mehlman, said recently, "while the blue states have turned purple." - The New York Times, February 8, 2004

[marmar]

2. "Blue states are still blue - but it is a deeper, bolder and angrier blue"

As a resident of blue Michigan, I concur.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. Pink is the new Red. Bush is the new Nixon.

Only the stakes are far higher these days. Bush may have screwed us over for decades.

Five trillion dollars, probably over eight trillion by the third week of January, 2008. No respect anywhere in the world, only fear and hostility and smoldering hatred. Complete dependence for energy on a few super-rich families and dictators whose people hate us the most. An eight-year delay in dealing with energy and climate issues that we were even too late in addressing when Clinton left office. An entire generation of intellectuals either converted into a pseudo-religion of political deceit, or cowed into silence.

And the entire Federal bench and the circuit courts packed with ideologizers and catchfarts and yes-men and mandarins.

Our future of progress, miracles, fulfillment, and most of all, justice, all have been sold for a mess of pottage by a man who half the country wanted to have a beer with, without understanding he had an alcohol problem.

No money, no friends, no justice, no future. No way out.

We are so-o-o-o screwed.

--p!

[NYC]

7. The rest of my life,

That's how long Bush's harm will last. It will last beyond that, but it's dismal knowing that you can't outlive the harm Bush has done.

[rocktivity]

4. According to SurveyUSA.com

Bush's approval rating equals or exceeds his disapproval rating in only SEVEN states! link

:bounce:
rocknation

[bluestateguy]

5. There never was a red state blue state divide

It's the red nation and the blue nation. Austin Texas has a lot more in common with Massachuetts than it does with the rest of Texas. Likewise, the California central valley has more in common with rural Alabama than it does with San Francisco.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. That's true. nt

[skeeters2525]

8. Don't It Make My Red State Blue

Went to an anti-war rally in redstate Indiana Saturday. Ususally I rally in Chicago where you expect a thousand percent support.

But I was amazed by the support in Indiana. Only one heckler with that brilliant Archie Bunker response, don't like it here, leave. Actually I could tell that to our military in Iraq.

But the high fives, and honks for peace, peace signs, and Yessssss reactions were overwhelming.

We have a military run media and a corrupt voting system. But if you take it to the streets, it can happen.

Join the Dean fifty state campaign.

[elperromagico]

10. There are plenty of people, who supported the war initially,

who are now asking the question "Is this worth the cost in money and lives?"

And most of them, being logical people, are coming back with the answer "No."

[elperromagico]

9. The country, by and large, is purple.

Some might be surprised to find that Kerry's best county was Shannon.

In South Dakota.

[oscar111]

12. which Dakota had a state owned central bank, till recently?

similar to britians nationalized bank

[oscar111]

11. DUBAI was the real cause of bush's drop?

seems they happened at the same time. Iraq has been a long slow drop cause, but Dubai seems to have caused a marked drop suddenly, that has lasted.

Keep talking about DUBAI PORTS.

[elperromagico]

13. He first sank into the 30s with Katrina last year.

I don't think he's been over 45% since then.

[ourbluenation]

14. but being pink in their view of * does not = rightie votes for blue

they'll just stay home, which works too, so, yeah!