Political Parties and Elections One Nation Slightly Divisible

1
Political Parties and ElectionsOne Nation
Slightly Divisible
2
Our Debate

• We argue that The United States of America is One
  Nation as a whole, yet is still Slightly
  Divisible.

3

• Franklin County (Red)
• vs.
• Montgomery County (Blue)
• Two VERY distinctive lifestyles, yet they all
  live in the same nation!

4
Franklin County

• Small Towns
• Many Farms
• Farmers and Hunters
• Racist, Homophobic, and Fat
• Rural
• Mostly White
• Wal-Mart (big stores)
• Pro-war
• Republican
• Many in debt or barely get by
• Traditional
• Religious
• Patriotic
• Self-Disciplined
• Support the Industry
• Less likely to discuss money
• 12 of adults have a college degree
• 69 of adults have a high school diploma
• average income 51,872

5
Montgomery County

• Big Cities
• On the Coast
• Interested in Books and Plays
• Sophisticated Cosmopolitan
• Urban
• Diverse Population
• Small Stores
• Anti-War
• Democrats
• More money
• Modern
• Discomforted by Patriotism
• Self-Expressive
• Support social change
• More open to discuss money
• 50 of adults have a college degree
• 91 of adults have a high school diploma
• average income 100,365
• Liberal

6
Voting

• Red America supports the
• Republican Party by a margin of
• 67 to 30
• Blue America supports the
• Democratic Party by a margin of
• 63 to 34

7

• Most of the blue and the red are actually shades
  of
• purple, with the exception of only a handful of
  states that
• went decisively one way or another.(9-16-01
  Andrew Sullivan)

8
Voting and Religion

• Attend Church Service on a regular basis?
• -59 voted Bush
• -39 voted Gore
• Seldom or never attend Church Service?
• -56 voted Gore
• -39 voted Bush

9
We will all be called before God on Judgment Day
to answer for our sins.

• In Franklin County
• - 70 of the population believes this statement
• - there are 85 churches and 1 synagogue
• In Montgomery County
• -50 of the population believes this statement
• - there are 45 churches and 5 synagogues

10
Morals and Values

• Red America
• traditional
• religious
• patriotic
• self-disciplined

Blue America modern discomfited by
patriotism self-expressive
11
Gay Marriages?

• 70 of the Red America rejects the idea of gay
  marriages
• 55 of the Blue America also rejects homosexual
  marriages

12
Economic Inequality

• Franklin County
• Less income which creates debts and struggles to
  some but find entertainment in one another's
  company and the beautiful hillsides
• Montgomery County
• Large salaries which allows them to spend more
  money and enjoy the luxuries they have over
  others

13
RED AMERICA
I am normal. Nobody is better, nobody is worse.
I am humble before God.

• MODEST

HUMBLE CITIZENS
DONT FEEL THE NEED TO IMPRESS
SUBTLE
COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR LIFESTYLES
14
BLUE AMERICA

• I am special. I have carved out my own unique
  way of life. I am independent. I make up my own
  mind.

VIEW THEMSELVES AS SOMEONE IMPORTANT
DRESS TO IMPRESS
PRESTIGOUS
ALWAYS CHANGING
NEW IMPROVED
LIBERAL
15
Cracks without Chaos

• September 11, 2001-
• Attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon
• When asked do you support a military response?
• 4/5 of Americans said YES
• They were then asked even is there are thousands
  of casualties?
• still more than 3/5 of Americans said YES
• So what does this say about our Nation?
• both Americas pulled together and showed
  respect, love, and
• support when it was needed most!
• Then along came Sept. 11 and all talk of a
  divided country came to an abrupt halt. The
  differences, nevertheless, are real and remain,
  despite the new burst of patriotism from sea to
  shining sea. It's just that they are subtler than
  the stark divide of red and blue would suggest.
  (David Horsey 5-19-02)

16
However

• Shortly after the attacks, the nation was once
  again becoming separated over issues with the
  war.
• Franklin County supported the war and showed much
  patriotism.
• Montgomery County did not support the war, and
  felt that a military response would only cause
  more confusion and disorder.

17
With all differences, how do we all come to agree?

• Mutual Commitment
• Unites both sides of America despite their
  differences, to the idea that a person is not
  bound by his class, or by the religion of his
  fathers, but is free to build a plurality of
  connections with himself.

18

• Unless and until Americans can resolve their
  values differences and once more answer the
  timeless question, What does it mean to be an
  American?, the country will be divided by the
  colors red and blue.

http//209.157.64.200/focus/fnews/1062164/posts
19
(No Transcript)
20
Bibliography

• Debating Democracy (fourth edition)
• Miroff, Seidelman, Swanstrom
• http//seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/70651_horsey
  op.shtml
• http//209.157.64.200/focus/fnews/1062164/posts
• http//www.webpan.com/dsinclair/myths.html