Still Two Americas

Well, the American people have spoken and although Bush has been re-elected, the message in 2004 is the exact same one from 2000. We are a nation of two peoples. Reds and Blues.

The real lesson to take from this is that the west and the south are just vastly different from west coast and the northeast. Like two different planets. The reality based community versus the faith based community. Gods, gays and guns versus Iraq, Jobs and Health care.

Republicans are going to tout this election as a mandate. Maybe it is. I would disagree with that. This election was a nail biter. Again. Two percent of the voters from one state decided the election. Yes, I know Bush won the popular vote by 3 million or so. But, as we all should be acutely aware of by now, the popular vote means next to nothing. But its that popular vote that we need to take our next steps from.

How to you convince the Red staters that moral values are not the end all be all of how you govern a country? You can't. It's just not possible. So how do you win an election in this environment? I'm not sure you can without some work in the Blue states first.

I am just in shock. And I know what I am about to write is going to seem angry and spiteful. But sometimes good things can come from that. Hell, anger hasn't hurt the Republicans.

How can the populations of the small (but geographically large) red states have such a different view about whats important?
I'd love to see a breakdown of the popular vote showing Bush's vote just from Red States. I suspect that that number is less than Kerry's total vote.

Anyone want to take up that project because that's where I think we need to spend our time now. Not on the Red State Bush voters. It's very hard to convert people from their chosen religion. The Red States are just about as Red as they can be. The focus has to be on the Blue State Bush voters right now. The Blue states have to get bluer before any Red States can be flipped.

The Blue states are were most of the population of this country lives. They pay most of the taxes, create most of the jobs and for this they get the least back from the government.

Now is the time for the Blue states to politely withdraw to our own concerns for a while.

Tax cuts? Sure. Give 'em to us. After all, we get the least government benefits for our bucks. Let the Red States try and get their government services without our kicking in more than our share for once.

State's rights? Awesome, give us all the state's rights we can have. We'll continue to live in states with better schools, higher environmental standards and the increased wealth that comes with both.

Maybe the time has come to virtually remove the Blue states from the Union. Take a page from the Republican play book of 1992. Argue for tax cuts. Argue for states rights. Have the House Back Benchers commence Gingrich like attacks on the Republican leadership. And God help the Blue state senator who votes for a Republican nominated judge.

If the faith based community can't face reality, then maybe it's time they were given an opportunity to know what reality means. President Bush and the Republicans are going to open the door. How the Blue states respond may just result in that door hitting the Red Staters in the face.

What's the alternative? Fight amongst ourselves? Move to Canada?

It certainly isn't compromise. It certainly isn't trying to out faith the faith based. They made the bed. Our course of action should be to let them lie in it.