So this is what a mandate looks like?

purple_america_2004, originally uploaded by lotifoazurri.

The map is pretty self-explanatory. Red counties/parishes went majority Bush, blue counties went majority Kerry, while purple were evenly divided. Other shades indicate the county's leaning. Notice how the only clear-cut counties are in low-population rural states. Other than that, the country is indeed very divided. Don't listen to the rhetoric about how Bush won with more votes than any president before or was the first pres since his father to win a majority - while true, they hide the more important, un-spun reality that he won by a narrow percentage margin, well within the margin of error for uncounted and outstanding ballots.