Popularized after the 2000 presidential election and spread by television’s love of maps, it’s common to call a state red when it is mostly Republican and blue when Democrat voters are the majority. When you mix red and blue, you end up with purple. So that’s now how we color a state where neither of the two major parties dominate.  A look at voting trends and histories shows that Alabama is the reddest state and Washington is the bluest.

Headquartered smack dab in Birmingham, Alabama is BriteBlueDot.com  If blue you are in a red state this just might cheer you up. (They do bulk discounts if you know like-minded people in Texas.)

I don’t know if it is uniquely American to plaster your beliefs on your car.  But around a major election, it seems like more people than ever show up with bumper stickers. ‘Course we don’t really need text to judge where someone stands. Ford 150, you’re Red, Honda Fit – Blue, Minivan — well, let’s just color you Purple.