Is America really polarised?

[dazzleman]

Local races are less polarized.
The districts are different.

Based upon the 1972-2004, I made two analytical polarization indexes.

Index 1 : Percentage of Democrats voting Democrat for President + Percentage of Republicans voting Republicans for President

1972. 157
1976. 167
1980. 153
1984. 166
1988. 173
1992. 150
1996. 164
2000. 177
2004. 182

Index 2:  Percentage of people voting Democrat in Congress voting Democrat for President + Percentage of people voting Republican in Congress voting Republican for President

1976. 162
1980. 152
1984. 169
1988. 154
1992. 146
1996. 160
2000. 171
2004. 179

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20041107_px_ELECTORATE.xls


Both of these have 2004 the highest, followed by 2000. 1996 was much more average. Bush has polarized America. You are a fool if you think otherwise.

So let me get this straight -- Bush polarized America in 2000 before he even made it to the White House.  Brilliant analysis, not at all skewed by your own personal views.

[dazzleman]

Both of these have 2004 the highest, followed by 2000. 1996 was much more average. Bush has polarized America. You are a fool if you think otherwise.

So let me get this straight -- Bush polarized America in 2000 before he even made it to the White House.  Brilliant analysis, not at all skewed by your own personal views.

I believe the election, and the following court cases, polarized America in that sense.  It wasn't the candidates (except for the fact they were both average candidates, causing the vote to be split).

True.  But none of that affected the vote, since the vote was cast before it was known any of that would happen.