Not Red, Not Blue: America’s True Majority

As Americans, we have more in common than the loudest voices let on. If we truly are a great melting pot, then conflict — even sharp disagreement — isn’t a failure. It’s a feature of a free society.

It means we live among people who think for themselves, who see the world differently, and who are still trying to make their way with dignity.

But you wouldn’t know that if you turned on the news. You'd think America is a nation split cleanly in two — red vs. blue — with nothing but venom in between. You'd think everyone has picked a side, and anyone not on your side is your enemy.

I don’t buy it. And I don’t think most Americans do either.

📊 The Illusion of Extremes

The truth is, most of us live somewhere in the middle. Simple statistics would suggest it. In almost any large group, people cluster around a center, with fewer at the extremes.

But the media — and increasingly, social media — doesn’t sell a normal distribution. They sell a version of America where two hardened camps face off, with no common ground in between.

Around election season, the media would have us think the country looks like this:

Two peaks, Two tribes. Not reality.

We saw a perfect example of this during election night 2020 coverage on NBC:

Election visuals like this fuel the idea of a nation split in two, forcing us to pick sides.

But this isn’t what most Americans experience in daily life. We work with, live alongside, and love people who vote differently than we do.

Our conversations don’t look like this graphic — they’re messier, more human, and full of overlap.

In reality, beliefs follow a different curve:

Most people are in the middle…

…with fewer holding extreme views.

We are not two opposing tribes. We are a messy, complicated, resilient middle.

🗳️ Forced Choices and False Divides

Outside of election seasons, we see nuance everywhere. Someone might agree with parts of the left and parts of the right. Someone might love their country and still want it to change.

But once election season rolls around — once we're forced to pick a side — it gets harder to see that nuance.

Voting for a candidate doesn’t mean you endorse every policy, every tweet, or every mistake. It just means you made a choice between two imperfect options, maybe agreeing with 70% of one platform and 30% of the other.

It doesn’t mean you're ignoring real problems. It means you're human, trying to weigh imperfect realities.

🎭 Platforms vs. Personalities

The candidates themselves complicate the story even more. Usually, it’s not just about policy — it’s about personalities.

We don’t always get to choose the champion we want. In fact, we never get to hand-pick a candidate who perfectly matches all our personal, professional, and political ideals.

Sometimes we end up voting for a platform we believe in, even if we don’t personally admire the person leading it.

I would challenge you to consider the following:

• How would one vote for conservative principles without voting for Trump?
• How would one support progressive reforms if they distrust the Democratic party leadership?

It's messy — and that’s okay.

We are not defined by the politicians who claim to represent us.

💰 The Profit of Polarization

There’s a reason the messiness gets hidden. There’s money to be made in outrage.

The more emotionally attached we feel to "our side," the more willing we are to donate, to click, to fight. And there are industries — entire ecosystems — that thrive off this division.

Outrage sells. Fear sells. And while normal people lose friendships and faith in each other, the people fueling the fire cash their checks and move on.

They will keep dividing us until we decide otherwise.

🧠 A Personal Perspective

For what it’s worth, I donate to candidates from both parties. I believe that if we're going to have a two-party system, we should want both parties to be strong, visionary, and accountable.

Most thoughtful people don't fit neatly into one box. They might believe in free markets and environmental protections. They might believe in personal responsibility and a strong safety net.

That blend of ideas is part of America's DNA.

This topic reminds me of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, often referenced as one of the foundational documents of American democracy. When the book was released, for the first time, disagreement wasn’t a threat; it was a sign of a free people shaping their future.

And in that messy, passionate public argument, the foundation for American democracy was born.

Free speech — real free speech — means creating space for messy, complicated, sometimes uncomfortable conversations.

It means remembering that disagreement doesn’t mean hate. It means remembering that debate makes us better.

If we reduce politics to "good guys vs. bad guys," we don't strengthen our country. We weaken it.

🤝 Acknowledge Goodness Wherever You Find It

Both sides have done good things worth acknowledging.

Trump recently proposed eliminating taxes on tips — a move that would help millions of service workers. Biden passed a major infrastructure bill after decades of gridlock that I’ve personally seen impact my city in a positive way.

Neither man is perfect. Neither party has a monopoly on virtue — or on failure.

I find it laughable when people on one side can’t bring themselves to acknowledge when the other side does something positive for the country or even for an individual. People suddenly want to defend things we have always disliked just because the other side is addressing the issue.

For example:

• We hear about Democrats protecting artificial food dyes because Republicans are trying to address the issue.
• We saw Republicans blocking border reform because they wanted to run on the issue during the election, even when Democrats were ready to take action.

Every group has its quirks. Every group has its blind spots.

The strength of America isn’t in ideological purity. It’s in being a melting pot — of races, cultures, religions, and ideas.

We are not supposed to agree on everything. We are supposed to live, argue, and build together despite it.

🏛️ The Real Middle

The middle isn’t something to apologize for. The middle is normal. The middle is where most of us live — quietly, thoughtfully, away from the extremes.

It’s not spoken about enough. It’s not celebrated enough.

But it is one of the greatest strengths of our society.

It’s time we stood up for it.

Disagreements Welcomed.

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