Purple States of America 2008

Mark Newman has already come out with his 2008 Election Cartograms. (Last year I highlighted his 2004 Election Cartograms.)

Take the standard electoral vote maps we have been seeing since election night, and adjust the shape and size of each state for population and you get this:



It gives some real perspective on the size of Barack Obama's electoral vote landslide. However, as we know, in many of these states, the popular vote was very close. Re-color the map to show how the counties voted; strongly for Obama is dark blue, strongly for McCain is bright red, and shades of purple for everything in between...



Once again, the nation is bruised, but carries on...

UPDATE

Declan Butler has his own calculations for a population cartogram. He also includes Hawaii and Alaska (that sort of looks like a squashed bug...)

C'mon, Move to Canada!

"Leaving those red state yahoos behind has never been easier!"





"So, affluent American Elites, what are you waiting for?"

Magazine Roundup

Time for another sampling of maps on magazine covers:

	The Week September 19, 2008 Sarah Palin is having an impact on the election and nation... or is she tearing it apart?
New Scientist September 6, 2008 Talk about your global warming...
	Tikkun July August 2008 What? Do you think new worlds grow on trees?
New Yorker October 6, 2008 Revisiting the classic "View of the World from Ninth Avenue" cover, a "View of Russia from Gov. Palin's Office." For a larger version of this map, see: Strange Maps.

Frowny Michigan

Princess Sparkle Pony responds to the recent announcement that the McCain campaign has "pulled out of Michigan":



I like it because is uses the mittenmorphic shape of Michigan in a new way. Eyes and eyebrows! I love it!

Warning: Princess Sparkle Pony is a political humor blog that my Republican friends will not likely find amusing.

#269

Putin Rears His Head

"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska." -- Sarah Palin



From the transcript of her interview with Katie Couric on CBS News.

(I don't know who created the image, but I saw it first on BoingBoing.)

P.S. If anyone can point me to a clever use of maps that mock Barack Obama or Joe Biden, I'll be happy to give equal time...

Obumper Stickers

The folks at Bumperactive.com, a custom bumper sticker printing company, are offering 52 state-specific (including D.C. and Puerto Rico) Barack Obama campaign bumper stickers. Sadly, only two of them include maps in their design:



In a previous post, I discussed the "mittenmorphic" attributes of the state of Michigan, as well as the old "Say Yes to Michigan" tourism advertising campaign.

Are there any other good examples of the clever use of maps in campaign advertising? Obama or McCain?

Alaskan Independence?

Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, has been selected by Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain, to be his running mate. This would normally call for a post about Alaska postcards, however I've already been there, done that:



Since she is relatively unknown to most Americans (and the media), pundits have been scrambling to find out more about her. One of the most surprising bits of dirt, as reported by ABC News, is that in her early political career she was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party. I was not even aware that there was a secessionist movement in Alaska.

The AIP is generally considered a "fringe party" (by the mainstream media). Their platform includes:

• A belief that "the vote for statehood was invalid because the people were not presented with the range of options available to them" and that "the federal government has since breached the contract for statehood on numerous occasions in over a dozen serious and substantial instances."
• A belief that there should be a vote on Alaskan secession.
• Remaining "steadfastly opposed to environmental regulations and actively promotes the private ownership and widespread development of Alaskan land."

The Party's website includes this cartoon map illustrating they way they feel; the United States is gobbling up Alaska against its will...

UPDATE 9/3: It now appears the the AIP was blowing smoke when they claimed Sarah Palin was a member of their party, although they still claim she did attend their convention, and her husband, Todd Palin, was a member until 2002. FWIW, I don't care one way or the other. I'm just surprised to even learn the party exists. I've heard of other secession movements, and might even approve of some, but this one was new to me.

McGaffin

Steve Brodner having some map fun at the expense of presidential candidate, John McCain, at the New Yorker:



More political map gaff fun...

Iraq-Pakistan Border

On Good Morning America, while commenting on Barack Obama's Middle Eastern tour, John McCain made a bit of a geography "gaff":

"We have a lot of work to do. It’s a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq-Pakistan border."

While I will not likely be voting for McCain, it wouldn't be because of this silly little slip of the tongue. However, the satirical side of the vast left-wing media conspiracy is having a field day. I just enjoy the maps:

Countdown with Keith Olbmermann

Media Matters

CrooksandLiars.com

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Matthew Yglesias

Hip Hop is Read

In the interest of fairness, as soon as the vast right-wing media conspiracy mocks Barack Obama with maps, I'll be sure to cover it here.

UPDATE 7/23: Mr. RW Anon (see comments) is making me do all the work. OK, here we go:

I had forgotten about Obama's 57 states comment... in fact I vaguely recall an editorial cartoon that included a map... but I found this one from the Power Line Blog:



"Reader Porter Yates created the 57-state map above in honor of Obama's recent slip of the tongue. The map highlights all 18 states that voted for Kerry in 2004, all 31 states in Mexico, the 6 provinces in Canada that didn't vote conservative in 2006, Jamaica and Cuba (naturally)."

However, I think this new lapel pin is the funniest image to come out of that whole flap:


#224

Let's Clean House With Ike And Dick

The collection of Steve Davis, political memorabilia collector and County Court Baliff, is currently being exhibited at the Dayton Metro Library. “Politics on Display”, An exhibit of Ohio and Presidential campaign posters and more, June 16 – August 16, 2008.

Davis has loaned the library over 50 political posters, as well as, assorted buttons and memorabilia of gubernatorial, presidential and senate races from as far back as the 1920’s to present day. This non-partisan display features both Republican and Democratic candidates including Richard Nixon, James Rhodes, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Robert Kennedy, Walter Mondale and his running-mate Geraldine Ferraro.

Two items from the 1964 election have, of course, caught my eye: Both a Goldwater/Miller button, and a Johnson/Humphrey poster prove the patriotism of their candidates by using an image of the map of the United States (minus new states Alaska and Hawaii).




#222

North Carolina

Yesterday, I commented on the Indiana Primary. On Tuesday, North Carolina Democrats will also take to the polls. Much of the African-American population is expected to go for Barack Obama, however Hillary is expected to be strong with the Applachian vote.



I only have this one postcard, and I don't have much else to say about North Carolina. It was pleasant enough the few times I have visited.

Indiana: Mother of Vice Presidents

Today's post features postcards from my collection.

Indiana Primary on Tuesday:

Why exactly does the Democratic Party waste its time with an Indiana a Primary? The last time Indiana's electoral votes went to a Democrat was 1964; part of Lyndon Johnson's landslide against Barry Goldwater. The time before that was FDR's landslide of 1936. Should the lackluster Democrats of that state be rewarded with all the attention they are getting?

Who will be participating in the Democratic Indiana Primary? Not just Democrats. Just as in Pennsylvania, Republicans plan to cross-over and vote, and not all of them are Dittoheads. The New York Times has a story about an Obomican... A Republican planning to vote for Obama.

Nevertheless, Tuesday's Primary could... maybe... just possibly... be the end of the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton... I'm not betting the farm on that one...

Famous Hoosiers:

• Larry Bird
• David Letterman
• Red Skelton
• John Cougar Mellencamp
• Steve McQueen
• Kurt Vonnegut
• Florence Henderson

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride...

There have been five men from Indiana who have been elected vice president: Schuyler Colfax, Thomas A. Hendricks, Charles W. Fairbanks, Thomas Marshall and Dan Quayle. They have earned Indiana the nickname "Mother of Vice Presidents."

Due to family connections, I visit Indianapolis often.

Some things I like about Indianapolis:

• Childrens Museum of Indianapolis
• Indiana Firebirds (defunct)
• Rathskeller the best sauerbraten I've tasted in 20 years!
• The Arsenal Game Room
• Their new Central Library
• GenCon Indy
• Circle Center downtown mall

Appalachia for Hillary

In his article, Pennsylvania Confirms Hillary’s Appalachian Prowess, The Electoral Map blogger, Patrick Ottenhoff, illustrates the popularity of Hillary Clinton throughout the Appalachian region of the United States:



Ottenhoff concludes:

North Carolina, West Virginia and Kentucky have yet to vote, but if the electoral maps of the rest of Appalachia are any indication, Hillary can expect huge wins in the Appalachian pockets of these states.

Read the full article for more analysis and electoral maps.

Appalachia, as it is defined in the map above, is one part of the larger electoral region of "Cumberland", as defined by Beyond Red & Blue. Are these not the "blue-collar Reagan Democrat" voters that the Democratic candidate will need to win the White House?

In a conversation, after the Pennsylvania Primary results were known, an Obama supporter said to me (in jest) that those "inbred hicks" were responsible for Clinton's win. Yet, isn't that the sort of "elitist" attitude that brought on the controversy surrounding Barack Obama's "bitter" comments? This is an area of concern that Obama and his campaign must address if they hope to prevail in November (not just a couple weeks from now in North Carolina and Indiana).

Cartophilia will not become a politics blog, but political maps often catch my eye when they contain telling information. Feel free to comment below and tell me how I'm full of it...

The Nation Confused by Super Tuesday

The confounding results of Super Tuesday continue to resonate through the nation and on The Nation. I missed this cover story, of the February 25 issue, when it first came out.

Apparently they were still attempting to piece together the results...

Another good example of a map used as an "element of design", as opposed to "how to find your way."

Super McCain

The UK's Economist weekly newsmagazine gave their cover story over to John McCain's Super Tuesday triumph within the United States Republican Party.

The cover features a comic strip in the shape of the United States. Scenes include:

• The "start" of the race before 2006


• The Dash for Cash


• Iowa & New Hampshire


• The Debates as boxing match


• Giuliani and Edwards get "trashed"


• Hillary tells Bill to "hush"


• Opinion polls go haywire


• Obama get the Oprah endorsement


• McCain bursts out of Super Tuesday as the Super Republican Candidate


• Clinton and Obama continue to wrestle for the title of Super Democrat


• To Be Continued...

1960 The Making of the President

On this day before Super Tuesday, is there a better time to play a boardgame based on a presidential Election?

When I was a kid I played a game called Landslide from Parker Brothers. Players rolled dice, moved around the board, and attempt to get the most votes in each state. The player with the most electoral votes from those states is elected. While the game was fairly simple, it cemented in my mind fairly early how our electoral college works and the importance of winning in the all-or-nothing large states.



Over the weekend I played a new game based on a U.S. Presidential election. 1960 The Making of the President is based on the down-to-the-wire race between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon.



Produced in 2007 by Z-Man Games, this game uses a card-driven system, "all the major events which shaped the campaign are represented: Nixon’s lazy shave, President Eisenhower’s late endorsement, and the 'Catholic question' are all included as specific event cards. The famous televised debates and final election day push are each handled with their own subsystems. Candidates vie to capture each state’s electoral votes using campaign points in the four different regions of the country. At the same time, they must build momentum by dominating the issues of the day and attempt to gain control of the airwaves."

Because the actual election was so very close, each player has an opportunity to win.

I enjoyed this game. It didn't take long to figure out the mechanic, and just like real campaign managers, I was forced to weigh the relative value of campaigning and spending political capital in states that I could win, and concede the states that I could not, while trying to hit that magic number of 270. In this, my first, game, I played the Richard Nixon campaign, and did only slightly better than reality. I lost 292-246, whereas in the real election, he lost to JFK 303-219.

Maps of Middle Earth

In the last couple weeks, I've started a theme about imaginary countries. Sometime in the next few weeks I'll start writing about some of my own imaginary countries, but in the meantime, a couple maps found while looking for something else:

How about an entire website devoted to maps of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth? From Ring Obsession, a language distribution map:



While looking for that map, I came across this one. I think it is pretty funny. You don't have to agree with the politics to get the joke...



From Professor Pollkatz's Pool of Polls.

The Purple States of America

In How to Lie with Maps, Mark Monmonier discusses how maps can give false impressions. A perfect example of this is the map of the United States used to show "popularity". Many of the physically large states in the West have relatively smaller populations than the "smaller" states in the East.

Michael Gastner, Cosma Shalizi, and Mark Newman of the University of Michigan make an excellent demonstration of this cartographic "lie" with their analysis of voting in the 2004 Presidential Election. Some sample maps:

To look at a standard electoral map of the United States, it would appear that a significant majority of the nation is "red", or voting Republican. Look at all the "red" on the map!:



However, if you make a population cartogram (adjusting the size of the states by their relative population) you can see just how close the election really was:



Yet, is Ohio really all red, and Michigan really all blue? Of course not. So if you color the nation county-by-county, and give those counties different shades of colors between red and blue, based on how strong the vote was, you get something like this:



So, basically, after the 2004 election, the nation was one big bruise...

Read the full analysis and progression of 2004 presidential Electoral maps, or the author's breakdown of the 2006 Congressional elections, or more fun with international socio-economic cartograms as well as the World Mapper.