A certain shade of pink

Ifeel like a kid again — staring at my mother’s mood ring, waiting for a new band of colour to expand across the surface until my mixed bag of preteen emotions finally had a name: happy, restless, lovestruck, whatever.

That’s what the U.S. Electoral College map is to me now, an equally addicting pastime, driven by two colour-coded maps, between which I flip every day: the CBC Presidential Poll Tracker and Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

Both use shades of pink to denote “Republican leaning” and, like a mood ring, something exciting is happening in the middle, particularly in the Four Corners region of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. In the last couple of weeks, what was once lipstick red or “Republican safe” is simply blushing, coyly. What are you trying to tell us, America?

Will Arizona’s pretty-inpink phase give way to a more serious case of moody blues on Nov. 8? Will the blush spread to other states and, if so, how far? And what’s up with Utah? Right now, it’s a three-way race, but are independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin’s supporters just undecided voters in disguise, clinging to the illusion of an alternative to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton or Republican candidate Donald Trump?

There is a science to polling, of course, but countries have moods, too, and, like Canadians discovered last year, those are tougher to measure. Emotionally speaking, America turning pink in the middle feels like an echo of Canada Votes 2015.

Last October, when the political satire about the Co n s e r vat iv e’s barbaric cultural practices hotline began to write itself and the now-famous photo of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi left us longing for a kinder, gentler Canada, it was obvious that then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper had, like Trump has done, overplayed a mean-spirited, xenophobic hand.

In the meantime, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, like Clinton is doing now, was investing time and resources in previously uncontested Conservative strongholds — some of which, like the rural Ontario riding where I live, voted Liberal, much to everyone’s surprise.

The Clinton campaign has upped its advertising in Arizona and U.S. first la d y Mi ch e l l e Ob a m a ’s charismatic surrogacy is doing great things for the “I’ ll have what she’s having” vote, which may, like Trudeau’s infamous Bramp- ton rally, reach its zenith in Phoenix this week. If Clinton can mobilize the Latino vote, Arizona might awaken on Nov. 9 to discover the pink stick has turned blue.

As entertaining as Trump’s crazy train has been to watch, my money says that the Americans’ basic survival instinct will kick in once they get to the voting booth. This is what pollsters can’t predict, but I liken it to the adage, “It’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye.” Trump’s claptrap about global elite conspiracies and rigged elections, especially in a mature democracy like the U.S., will be seen for what it is: a dangerous, pointed stick with which America will not, ultimately, injure itself.

Last year, the Liberals ran a surprisingly capable campaign, but our hard left turn was as much about getting away from the Conservatives, as it was a deep yearning to give Trudeau the keys to the kingdom.

Similarly, a Clinton win — which may be equally decisive — will be less about voters seeking the higher ground she’s convinced she occupies, and more about escaping the lunatic fringe. The slogan Clinton adopted from the first lady, “When they go low, we go high,” has taken root, but “When they get nuts, we get the hell outta’ Dodge” might, in