The Red vs. Blue division that the media reported following the 2000 elections is largely fiction according to Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College political scientist and author of "Red and Blue Scare: The Continuing Diversity of the American Electoral Landscape," published in The Forum: Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics, 2004.
According to Klinkner, "The red and blue maps give you the mistaken impression of geographic schism in American politics--that all Democrats live in one area and all Republicans live in another. In fact, there is quite a lot of mixing of Democrats and Republicans over the electoral landscape. Most Americans live in 'purple' areas."
He is also co-author of a Harvard University report about spoiled ballots in the 2000 election.
Klinkner has written extensively on a variety of topics related to American politics. Most recently, he co-authored The Unsteady March: The Rise and Decline of America's Commitment to Racial Equality (University of Chicago Press, 1999).
Contact Klinkner: 315-792-9881 (home) or 315-859-4344 (office) or pklinkne@hamilton.edu
