The All-American Sandwich

 Final results for yesterday's mid-term elections are still being calculated, but this picture (see below, from Reuters) speaks volumes.  It's the House of Representatives map, awash in red.  Yes, its pretty misleading because the large population centers with their large numbers of House seats are actually blue, but it is troubling nevertheless.

Basically, the map says that America's affluent liberal coasts are completely at odds with everyone else who is poorer and socially conservative, or even regressive. It's a recipe for a social/national disaster: America is not a single country but a federation of States.  Why should the approx. 40 red States stay in a union with the other 10 if they hate each other? The Reds produce most of the food, energy, minerals and forestry products - what do the Blues make that is essential to survival?

America is a very fat red sandwich with two very, very thin slices of blue bread.  Perhaps the red "meat" may decide it does not need bread, after all?

For comparison, see below the same map for the 1978 mid-terms.  Why 1978? Because like today, Jimmy Carter was a deeply unpopular Democratic President faced with an energy crisis and soaring inflation. Yet the nation was much more balanced and united, even if angry.