Editing 1852: Election Map

{{comic
| number    = 1852
| date      = June 19, 2017
| title     = Election Map
| image     = election_map.png
| titletext = Luckily for my interpretation, no precincts were won by the Green Party.
}}

==Explanation==
A wave (e.g. an electromagnetic wave, like light) changes its frequency and wavelength when its source is moving relative to the observer, due to the {{w|Doppler effect}}. In the case of light, increased frequency &mdash; indicating movement towards the observer &mdash; is called {{w|blueshift}}, while reduced frequency &mdash; indicating movement away from the observer &mdash; is called {{w|redshift}}. These names apply even if the effect is outside of the visible spectrum (e.g. infrared light that has reduced frequency is called redshifted, even though its frequency is further away from that of visible red light than normally). Red and blue colors are used accordingly to indicate the effect.

The recent advent of the {{w|integral field spectrograph}} allowed astronomers to produce [http://iopscience.iop.org/0067-0049/199/1/1/downloadHRFigure/figure/apjs412917f14 images] illustrating how different parts of a galaxy move along our sightline, images that look not very different from the map Cueball shows. If one side of the image is higher redshifted while the other side is less or even blueshifted, the usual interpretation is that the galaxy is rotating with an axis of rotation not completely parallel to our sightline, but other interpretations are also possible. Nevertheless no redshifted object appears in red to the human eye, it's still white. But the {{w|Spectral line|spectral lines}} are shifted. This means all colors used in those scientific images are not real.

The map [[Cueball]] shows represents election results. Red regions mark where one of the political parties won, while blue regions indicate another party. (Because Randall lives in the United States, blue most likely corresponds to the {{w|Democratic party (United States)|Democratic Party}}, and red to the {{w|Republican party (United States)|Republican Party}}, but this is not stated in the comic.) Cueball, however, analyzes the map as if it showed the magnitude of Doppler effect by the light emitted by the region. This is a very strange interpretation in the context of an election, and is not what the viewers would expect to hear. This is why Cueball was quickly fired from his job, as the caption states.

The title text states that the {{w|Green Party of the United States|Green Party}} did not win any {{w|Precinct#Elections|precincts}}. If the Green Party won, its regions would likely be colored green,{{Citation needed}} which would not fit to Cueball's Doppler effect analysis. Sometimes, however, green is used to indicate lack of movement. And since the center of rotating object isn't moving, green-colored spaces could actually be interpreted according to Doppler analysis - but only if they appeared near the center of the rotation.

The map appears to depict {{w|Georgia's 6th congressional district}}, which was set for a {{w|Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017|runoff election}} on June 20, 2017, the day after the comic ran. The map in the comic appears to be broadly similar to both the result maps of the primary ballot of April 18, 2017 [http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2017/04/23/from-red-to-purple-what-ossoffs-path-through-the-6th-district-means/img_7178/#main] and the result map of the runoff election.[https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/georgia-congressional-runoff-ossoff-handel] The April primary had included 5 Democratic candidates, 12 Republican candidates, and 2 independent candidates (who combined for less than 0.1% of the primary vote), with the top two finishers (who were a Democrat and a Republican) advancing to the runoff. The red-and-blue result maps were similar for the primary and runoff elections because the precincts where Democratic or Republican candidates predominated in the April vote also (generally speaking) tended to have the candidate of the same party lead the vote in June.

==Transcript==
:[On a TV-screen Cueball is seen pointing at a map on the left which is colored in red and blue. There is a header on the map and in the top right corner of the screen the title of the program is shown. Below this at the bottom of the screen text indicate that the program is broad live. Cueball explains the map, with his text shown above the TV.]
:Header: Results
:Title: ''Election'' Night
:Live

:Cueball: These northern precincts appear red, which probably means they're moving away from us, whereas these bluer regions are approaching us. I believe the district may be rotating in space.

:[Caption below the panel:]  
:My career as an election analyst was short-lived.

==Trivia==
*Cueball was fired from his job a number of times before. Many are listed in [[1428: Move Fast and Break Things]].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]