Why we knew this would happen

When you look at the picture of how the vote is divided state to state, it's as obvious as Tory/Labour divides of old. Think all the middle spread of states as like the shires and the north of Britian, the coastal urban areas like our coastal urban areas, north or south, and it's as predicatable as that. People vote because of social class, moral values and family tradition. To think that the floating vote was ready for 'seachange' was never on the cards.

Having said that, I think Bush is no more a pawn in the game as Kerry would be. It's naive to think that one man is so effective. He fits the bill for the Americans at large, but he also causes real hatred, both amongst them, and in the wider world. America has always been unpopular in certain areas, but now it's getting out of control, for a variety of reasons. I'm very curious as to what may happen next, what we may be in for. After all, it has been a pretty chaotic ride since the 2000 election.

God knows where it leaves Blair, he is truly between a rock and a hard place.

Cspan map - a nice bit of flash election stats


[[promise no more political posts for at least, oooh a couple of days]]