Seeing Red

I had to wake up this morning and hear Andrea Seabrook telling me that after the national elections, Utah's politics "remain as red as the rock monuments in its national parks." Following the sweeping national rejection of the Iraq War and Bush policy, NPR and Andrea Seabrook found it necessary to spotlight Utah and how it bucked national trends by voting largely Republican. Here are a few of the bits from Seabrook and NPR:

• "What does this say about Utah? Not easily swayed by peer pressure? Too square to be hip?"

• "Whatever the reason, Utah politics remained rock solid."

• "And perhaps the rest of the nation should take heed--after all the lyrics to Utah's state song say, 'Utah getting bigger and better; Utah always leading the way!'"

From some sources this might have been nothing but tongue-in-cheek fun, but it's tone of glib admiration and NPR's narrow interpretation of Tuesday's election, leave little doubt that it's not just Utah's politics that are as "red as the rock monuments."