Red Versus Blue
After an ocean of ink spilt defining our political differences in black and white, as if there were unbridgeable disparities between the red states Bush won and the blue states that backed Kerry, the results of Ipsos Public Affairs surveys fielded on the Ipsos U.S Express Omnibus in 2004 show that red and blue states aren't that different.
When asked about the way things are going in their life, Americans have an overwhelmingly positive outlook, with no significant difference between red staters and blue staters. Eighty-one percent of red staters and 82% of blue staters expressed satisfaction with their lives. This satisfaction extends into their jobs as well. Ninety-three percent of red staters and 90% of blue staters voiced satisfaction with their job.
Prescription drug policy may be a politically contentious topic, but red and blue staters have little trouble in agreeing on several points. When it comes to government involvement in negotiating drug prices for seniors, 67% of red staters and 74% of blue staters agree the government should be involved. Additionally, a majority (63% of red staters and 68% of blue staters) favor the government making it easier to buy prescription drugs from other countries.
Another issue that red and blue agree on is the belief that outsourcing hurts America's economy, with 72% of those in red states and 69% in blue states expressing a negative opinion of outsourcing. They also profess--at more than a nine to one ratio--that they prefer an American product to a foreign product when given a choice (although the current trade deficit might suggest otherwise). However, neither red nor blue staters blame their personal consumption for outsourcing issues. Nearly two in three Americans, regardless of blue or red status, say that outsourcing is caused mostly by corporate executive greed.
Finally, despite the stew of controversial social issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, red staters and blue staters were largely in agreement about the severity of HIV/AIDS as a national health problem. When asked, 60% of both red staters and blue staters thought that HIV/AIDS was a very serious national health problem. The difference between these two segments of America emerges with opinions on how to address the problem. In blue states, 61% prefer focusing public education on encouraging young people to practice safe sex, and 33% prefer encouraging abstinence instead. In the red states, focus was more evenly split, with 49% favoring encouraging abstinence and 48% preferring encouragement of safe sex practices. Hey, we can't agree on everything!
Despite the dichotomies presented by the media, Americans--red staters and blue staters alike--are not as different as many would have us all believe. Are you listening Washington?
