Just some food for thought.

[Keystone Phil]

Fire away. 

[Keystone Phil]

mapmaking is not (and cannot be) objective.

Just for the record, check the source at the bottom of the map (if you haven't already). I wasn't responsible for it. 

[Keystone Phil]

A friend of mine noted something that I slipped by me at first: France is clearly the wrong color in the 2000 map unless they are foolishly counting Jospin as proof of a leftist government.

[Keystone Phil]

The Globe and Mail is a sh*t paper.

They didn't produce the image.  

[Keystone Phil]

A friend of mine noted something that I slipped by me at first: France is clearly the wrong color in the 2000 map unless they are foolishly counting Jospin as proof of a leftist government.

In a cohabitation system, the PM becomes the dominant domestic policy figure and the presidentialist system finds itself transformed into a parliamentary system. It's quite correct to judge France as left in 2000, because domestic policy was made by a left-wing government. Unless you're arguing from a 'Jospin is not a left-winger' mode.

Fair enough.

[Keystone Phil]

The first map, I didn't realise that President Chirac was so left-wing.

Hash pointed out on the last page why it isn't necessarily incorrect to consider the government left wing in 2000 since Jospin was Prime Minister and set the domestic agenda.

[Keystone Phil]

People saying rightist parties in Europe would be considered liberals in the USA don't know Esperanza Aguirre, Cospedal, Arias Cañete, Vidal Quadras, Mayor Oreja, AZNAR, Maria San Gil, Francisco Camps, Carlos Fabra, Alvarez Casco (formerly), Ana Botella, Valcárcel, Javier Arenas, Alicia Sánchez Camacho... There are many who would support David Duke I think (MayorOrejAguirre)

Agreed. I try explaining that to Americans that think all of Europe is to our left. It can be a difficult task. Then again, as Xahar points out, sometimes we need to explain to Europeans that the European extreme Right wouldn't fit into the GOP.