One nation divided

A growing chasm?

Finally, Election Day. I dropped off my ballot yesterday and now I'm bracing for the outcome -- more so for the national results than Oregon's. In this blue state of ours, most left-leaning candidates will win. The only question is whether voters will go for a second-time-around candidate, Democrat John Kitzhaber, or the fresh-faced but totally inexperienced challenger, Republican Chris Dudley.

In normal circumstances, Kitzhaber, probably would cruise to a third term. But, clearly, there is nothing ordinary about this election year. That Dudley, a former NBA player who's never run for (let alone served in) elective office at any level, is going head-to-head in the final polls really says something about the national backlash against Democrats and incumbents.

Funny thing. When I logged onto my blog this morning, the first pop-up ads were "Chris Dudley for Oregon." Guess that shows the strength of his fund-raising. The guy's on the Internet as well as TV.

Anyway, a final burst of pre-election reading these past 24 hours left me wondering just how small the political middle has become, with partisans on both sides clinging to their poles-apart stances and demonizing each other like never before.

It's one thing for like-minded people to flock together. Witness the Glenn Beck "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington, D.C., followed by last weekend's Stewart-Colbert " "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear."

It's another thing to analyze the demographic makeup of America's TV watchers and gear your political advertising accordingly. According to a New York Times article, "Where Parties Look for an Audience," Republican ad buyers favor sports programming (college and pro football, NASCAR racing) and crime dramas to reach their target audience while their Democratic counterparts connect with like-minded viewers watching comedies ("Everybody Loves Raymond," "Two and a Half Men") and talk shows ("Dr. Phil," "The Dr. Oz Show"). Check out the graphic to see the breakdown.

It makes sense, but isn't it just a little sad? Unless your viewing habits span the spectrum, you're getting only one side. Of course, given that most political advertising is in the form of attack ads, maybe it's a good thing we're missing more of each other's sniping.

Last word. The only show that seems to have crossover appeal for both Ds and Rs? "Dancing With The Stars." Go figure.

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