Dirt Doesn't Vote (And Other Startling Facts)

Something that has bugged me since the 2000 election is the popularity of the County by County election map. Now we have a new one for 2004. Yes, I know it is a striking image but what does it mean? That Bush won all but a few little blue specks?

Look, those blue specks, though they are small in geographic area, still represent about half of the vote. All of those red counties had Kerry supporters in them. And the whole thing includes about 45% of the population that couldn't be bothered or was ineligible to vote. I voted for Bush. I'm glad he won. I think he needs to take that victory and use it to advance the conservative cause. But lets not get drunk on self-congratulation.

A similar meme that people who ought to know better are touting is the fact that Bush received more popular votes than any president in history. Yeah? And Kerry got more votes this year than Bush got in 2000. And Jimmy Carter got more votes in 1980 than George Washington got in both 1789 and 1792.

The only numbers that matter are 286 and 252.