Archive for July 5, 2008

Electoral-Vote.com and Our Hilarious Preconceptions

During the primary season, the popular website “Electoral-Vote.com” kept a running account of which Democratic candidate polled best against John McCain.  In what is now a moot (but nonetheless interesting) point, take a look at the picture below, from May 27th.  States where Barack Obama polled better against McCain are colored brown; where Hillary Clinton did better, they’re pink (see the legend below):

Do you notice something about the chosen colors?  Yes, that’s it: the black man is brown, and the woman is pink (friend’s reaction: “brown and pink? I don’t… ooooooh”). Maybe it was subconscious, but the esteemed votemaster’s choices of color seem to have stereotypically highlighted each candidates’ unique deviations from the white-male-politician norm.

I can’t decide if it’s tacky or funny.  I guess, just like so many plays on gender or race, it depends upon context, and upon who’s doing the playing.  I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.  We report; you decide.

Full disclosure: I didn’t pick up on this point, but my friend Natalie, who’s written for this site before, did… and because she’s otherwise occupied now, I get to post on it.