Here are my answers to the following questions asked by Pauline Peretz:

1. Many analysts have emphasized that there was a redrawing of the electoral map in 2008. To what extent will the November midterm elections affect this red-blue map? How long will the newly blue states remain blue?

2. Do you think the predictable loss of the Democrats in November definitely disqualifies the hypothesis that Obama’s election was the beginning of a realignment in American politics, that is a period of dominance for the Democratic party due to favourable demographics?

3. Some analysts consider that voting patterns are best explained by economic factors, others by values. How do you position yourself in the debate on culture wars vs. economic wars?

4. In your book Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State, you renew the ongoing debate on the correlation between income and vote, showing it is much stronger in poor states. In light of this correlation, would you say that there currently is an increasing economic polarization in American politics?

5. To what extent do you think internal mobility and the geographical concentration of like-minded voters (in some sort of “self-sorting” mechanism) increases the polarization of American politics?

P.S. No, I don’t know what was going on with my hair that day.