Red State, Blue State, Rose Bowl

At first glance, the Rose Bowl (College Football's National Championship game this season) appears to be a clash between the prototypical Red State and the ultra-liberal Blue State. The University of Southern California is located in one of the few liberal strongholds remaining in America, despite its Republican governor (who is actually liberal on social issues despite his blind allegiance to the Republican party). The University of Texas, on the other hand, is located in the home state of his holiness, the unquestionable leader of this nation, Commander Cuckoo Bananas.

Upon further inspection, one quickly finds that the red state school is not so red and the blue state school is the prototype of George W's base. I have never been to Austin, Texas, but from how I have heard it described it sounds like an island of reason in a sea of faith. It's supposed to be eco-friendly, tolerant toward alternative lifestyles, and having a large academic institution to flood the city with ivory tower types couldn't hurt either.

I am quite familiar with the USC crowd, however, growing up with a diehard Trojan fan as a parent. The University of California, Berkeley (long known as a liberal center) contrasts nicely with the private school in southern California -- take this jacket designed by a USC fan for the annual game against Cal as an example. While using stereotypes are not a good way to develop an argument, USC is known for attracting very affluent students (although it's hard to imagine they are any more well off than students at other private universities) and looking down on its cross town neighbor, UCLA, for their middle class lifestyle. Hell, even the gay alumns are log cabin republicans -- ok, a sample size of one hardly makes a case.

But wealth is by no means a perfect indicator of political position, and it appears that USC may be becoming more liberal. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it, but hanging around USC alumni I have definitely noticed a conservative (read, Republican) slant to their politics. California's affluent communities are known for their strong support of the Republican party and probably wield more strength within the GOP than most any red state. It's these people that probably contribute to the conservative image at USC.

Anyway, if you find yourself thinking red state versus blue state while watching The President (Reggie Bush, not George W Bush) try to outrun the Longhorns' speedy defenders, take a second to reconsider which school is red and which is blue . . . ok, one of them is Cardinal and Gold and the other is Burnt Orange, but you know what I mean.