So, this isn’t perhaps the coolest ever video and the Fatboy Slim song is a bit distracting but I think there is a real context here about our changing society. It’s definitely not the card catalog, no such thing as internet, days that I grew up in.

Kris.

I have for some time been trying to figure out a way of discussing the current election in a design context. On a previous post there was a discussion about the portrayal in the media of the great divide between “liberals” and “conservatives.” So I started out writing this post wondering are we as a Nation really that polarized? Is it just Red vs. Blue with no in-between? or is there something else. And more specifically how do we view/represent this polarization?

The above map created by Robert J. Vanderbei, of Princeton, portrays the presidential elections based on county rather than state. It shows the shift in political ideology from 1968 to now. For example in 1968 it clearly shows the effect George Wallace, of the American Independent party, running on pro-segregation platform. 1992 shows the effect of Ross Perot, who was favored in several counties, but did not win any states or electoral votes. Interestingly enough, there is no indication of Ralph Nader being favored in any county during the 2000 election.

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