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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

For Those Who Love Useless Maps

posted by on September 10 at 16:00 PM

Amazon now has a 2008 page, which shows who’s buying which political books. They’ve divided up politically themed books into red, blue, and purple, and kept track of the sales.

USAToday.jpg

Most everybody is reading more Republican-themed books. I’m sure somebody will try to turn this into political news, but really the only sure thing is that more Republicans buy their political books from Amazon.com. Frankly, this doesn’t surprise me, as most independent booksellers are slanted toward the liberal, and a lot of Democrats are inclined to buy locally.

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1


Biden Exit Strategy?

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/10/biden-hillary-clinton-might-have-been-a-better-pick-for-vp/

“Make no mistake about this, Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Lets get that straight,” Biden said in Clinton’s defense.

Posted by John Bailo | September 10, 2008 4:02 PM
2

Way to stay on topic, fuckhead.

Posted by Fnarf | September 10, 2008 4:09 PM
3

Ok, I helped boost that red number for washington (actually, no, I got my book from KCLS), but anyway, you must read

"Grand New Party"

Really, it's the best explanation of why I feel like I do...why I think Republicans are the real populists and how they do have an active agenda for change.

Anyone who deigns to argue Republicans of the 00's must read:

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-New-Party-Republicans-American/dp/0385519435

Posted by John Bailo | September 10, 2008 4:13 PM
4

@3: The best explanation for why you feel like you do is that the guilt of years of unrequited pederasty is catching up with you. Do us a favor and act like we don't care.

Posted by Ziggity | September 10, 2008 4:15 PM
5

wait - republicans can read? then why the fuck are they republicans?

Posted by max solomon | September 10, 2008 4:17 PM
6

Yeah, this is basically just about urban vs rural. As you point out, people who live in the middle of nowhere are more likely to get books from Amazon, rather than a local bookstore. Most hicks are Republicans. The northeast apparently has more rural Democrats than the rest of the country.

Now, why is that? Why are the rural people in that corner of the map less stupid than the ones in the middle?

Posted by violet_dagrinder | September 10, 2008 4:17 PM
7

Yah, because that "New" Republican party, the one that's leaving behind the crazy old Bush kook koalition of Christianists like Sarah Palin -- how's that working, anyways?

You are dumber than yeast, John Bailo.

Posted by Fnarf | September 10, 2008 4:18 PM
8

I also attribute it to the Republican need to only read, hear, view things that reinforce their narrow view of the world, ie Fox News, Rush Limbaugh etc.

Posted by StrangerDanger | September 10, 2008 4:22 PM
9

The right wingnuts organize to purchase their books where they will show up on national best seller lists the first week. (In addition to the obvious bulk purchases) One week in the Amazon/Barnes&Noble/NYTimes top 10 is better advertising/propaganda than six months in every little neighborhood shop. Sometimes its a specific hour so they can take a screen shot of when the book was #1. For a whole hour!

Posted by La Mareada | September 10, 2008 4:37 PM
10

@8:

That too. Though I'm not sure Dems are soooo much better in that regard.

Posted by violet_dagrinder | September 10, 2008 4:37 PM
11

Educated Democrats support their candidates in spite of what they say, since most of what they say is aimed at a rather lowbrow audience.
Educated Republicans support their candidates because of what they say, since most of what they say is aimed at a rather lowbrow audience.

Posted by kinaidos | September 10, 2008 5:17 PM
12

It could just be the fact that more righty books have been released in the last 2 months, but none of the other explanations (including Paul's) explain the fact that by trending over time using the left-arrow button, things have been shifting, across all states, to be more "red", using the same measurements.

It might not be serious political news, but it probably does mean SOMETHING.

Posted by Damien | September 10, 2008 5:55 PM
13

Yeah right,independent bookstores... You must be retarded.

Posted by meks | September 10, 2008 6:32 PM
14

A lot of vegans and animal rights advocates have been boycotting Amazon.com for selling cockfighting and dogfighting paraphernalia for years now. I think I made my last Amazon purchase in 2005. If I want to buy a book online I just use http://www.indiebound.org/zip.php to get it from a local bookstore.

Posted by Sickgirl | September 10, 2008 6:38 PM
15

@14 A lot of vegans and animal rights advocates are dumbasses. Magazines about cockfighting are worth a boycott? Whoop-dee-doo. "Indie" stores don't sell books and magazines about hunting?

Certainly it is your choice to refuse them your business. But would you really want them to cave in? Because there are much larger groups of citizens (fundies) who could also make demands. And where would that leave us? I mean it's not like a cock dies when someone reads a magazine. Words, ideas, whatever. Save the complaining for when the blood and feathers start flying.

Posted by Luke | September 10, 2008 7:20 PM
16

@15: I picked up a copy of Christianity Today once in a waiting room somewhere, and my cock died immediately.

Posted by rob | September 10, 2008 8:41 PM
17

So why is DC's little square black? Is that because everybody there only reads their own Wikipedia page?

Posted by rob | September 10, 2008 8:45 PM
18

it could be that a lot of liberals do shop at independent book stores... or it could be that there are a lot of christian, republican, fear-driven people in this country. and the latter is what i am inclined to believe having lived in every corner of the US and many points in between.

we liberals are the minority. it's just the reality and no surprise that we have bush in office and will most likely have mcsame ruling this country for a long time. that is unless of course, all the young blue eligible voters actually, y'know ...vote

Posted by not surprised | September 10, 2008 10:09 PM
19

Liberals buy their written media only when someone from comedy central has released a book or perhaps Harry Potter. Then there is a big surge of media. We are kind of hyprocritical. Either we are too lazy to read it, to busy to read liberal thought. Or we would rather read something of substance than another civics book. I still have yet to even listen to homespun democrat by Garrison Keeler, I have had it for years. There was some study saying bible thumpers read more than city folk because they are well, reading the bible. They love to preach to the choir and red books seem to get the veins pumping in an anger that can make any hick feel like an angry victim of society.

Now that I think about it, it's like Public Enemy for white people ... accept with nothing really to complain about.

Posted by formerly OR Matt | September 10, 2008 10:13 PM
20

Liberals buy their written media only when someone from comedy central has released a book or perhaps Harry Potter. Then there is a big surge of media. We are kind of hyprocritical. Either we are too lazy to read it, to busy to read liberal thought. Or we would rather read something of substance than another civics book. I still have yet to even listen to homespun democrat by Garrison Keeler, I have had it for years. There was some study saying bible thumpers read more than city folk because they are well, reading the bible. They love to preach to the choir and red books seem to get the veins pumping in an anger that can make any hick feel like an angry victim of society.

Now that I think about it, it's like Public Enemy for white people ... except with nothing really to complain about.

Posted by formerly OR Matt | September 10, 2008 10:13 PM
21

Come to think of it, why the hell do conservatives feel so god damn victimized they have to push religion on those that feel religion and gov. should be separated. What the hell do they really want? If anything they perhaps benefit the most from welfare, the poor republican religious hicks that keep voting these people into office.

I seriously don't get it. Point to the man, and say he has the money and if he REALLY REALLY wanted to or had some insentive to invest he would give you either some money or preferably a job. But in Republican universe we'll give him a huge ass tax break and ask him very very very nicely to spread the wealth.

Makes no fucking sense, and Republicans feel like they are the victims to the "liberal agenda" (whatever the hell that is)? Even when they have been in charge for the past 8 years?

Posted by OR Matt | September 10, 2008 10:20 PM
22

What's a book?

I'm too busy registering voters in Seattle to read books!

Posted by Will in Seattle | September 10, 2008 11:01 PM

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