The Other Guy is an Idiot

Shankar Vedantam recaps what has been talked about for some time now, that Americans have become polarized to the extent that they essentially live either in red or blue ghettos: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/18/AR2009011802323_pf.html. Vedantam thinks that this "clustering" of folks of the same political stripe into their own enclaves of similar minded souls results in people never bumping into anyone who thinks differently. I see this a lot in my city, which is predominantly liberal. In the latest election, you could literally see solid blocks of homes with Obama signs, with nary a McCain sign in sight. Sure, you can chalk some of this up to an energized and effective Democratic machine along with W's soaring unpopularity but to a great extent, it's folks wanting to live around those who think the same way they do. More power to 'em but doesn't this get a little boring, not to mention out of touch with the other half of the country that surely has one or two brave souls whose knuckles don't drag?

My own neighborhood is mostly left of center as born out by precinct results and what I know about the other folks on my street and those around me. The neighbors on one side are rabid Dems, with the nasty bumper stickers to prove it. They're also highly intelligent (the guy is literally a rocket scientist). I get along with them fine and they don't keep me awake hurling invectives against Republican scum or burning draft cards. On the other side is an earnest young family and they're solid red staters, sporting an impressive arsenal of lawn equipment and are not reticent about deploying industrial strength insecticides at the mere sight of a random crawling interloper on their property. All in all, real respectful folks. Pretty much the same right down the street--a few more blue staters than red but living around each other does seem to bring a level of understanding and civility in recognizing that the guy next door may vote like an idiot but he or she is a pretty good person, nevertheless. That's probably a good thing. I do my best to remain vague on political leanings as it's more fun to keep 'em guessing. Hopefully the belt fed .30 cal mounted in the bed of my truck doesn't give me away. That, along with the fishnet stockings.