OK Go!

1 State, 2 State, Red State, Blue State...

red vs blue, 1860 style:

As divisive elections go, you have to admit that 1860 kind of leaves 2004 in the dust... : - )

Interesting trivia: John Adams ran for President 4 times and lost 3 times, twice to George Washington (I bet you thought he ran unopposed!) and once to Thomas Jefferson. In several early elections, all 3 or 4 candidates were from the same party, and the House of Representatives decided more based on personality than platform..

Such as 1824, when the candidates were John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford and Henry Clay. Jackson led Adams 43%-30% in the popular vote and 99-84 in the electoral, but back then, the constitution said that if nobody had more than 50% of the electoral votes, the House of Representatives voted among the top three candidates. That's how John Quincy Adams got in - he lost, four years later, to Andrew Jackson. Henry Clay, considered among America's 5 greatest Senators, is remembered for saying "I'd rather be right than President."

Fascinating historical electoral maps and background are to be found at this site.