RedBlue was an Internet experiment that took place during the divisive elections of 2006, which gave Americans, whether “red,” “blue” or “purple,” a way to engage directly with someone on “the other side” of our divided political landscape, in order to explore our differences and find out what we have in common. The goal was to better understand each other and have fun doing it, while creating a space for compromise by acknowledging each other’s viewpoints and defining our shared goals. RedBlue was carried out in cooperation with the Public Conversations Project and Internet design specialists at our affiliate, 2wayTV Partners. Over 300 beta testers from across the political spectrum participated.

Surveys consistently reveal that most Americans reject hard-line categories and hold nuanced, “purple” perspectives on many issues. While the RedBlue project begins with the familiar labels that have so often pigeonholed Americans into uncomfortable stereotypes – “red” vs. “blue,” “conservative” vs. “liberal” – participants will be able to identify themselves on a continuous red-purple-blue spectrum, and to connect with counterparts whose contrasting views are as nuanced as their own, re-introducing a middle ground of public discourse, where there is room for reasonable people to disagree.

Summary of Project Objectives: To help participants: