True Colors

The election's over and you're bummed. You just learned the hottie you were interested in voted for the wrong person. How do you deal?

Consider logging on to bluestatedate.com or redstatedate.com, two new websites designed to help people find their perfect liberal or conservative love. Or, as the sites put it, "Find your running mate."

Alex Fondrier, 27, came up with the idea while at Boston University. Fondrier, a self-proclaimed political junkie, found that talking politics in the early days of a relationship was verboten. And by the time the question arose, he found his dating partners were either completely uninterested in the issues or in complete disagreement with his politics.

"The American people are very passionate about what they believe . . . but we've become very much divided into little groups that put those different interests above everything," said Fondrier, who declined to reveal his political leanings. "More often than not, it's hard to compromise, even in conversation, when the issues come up. When it comes to getting romantically involved, it becomes harder and harder to date someone with views that are in stark contrast to your own."

Fondrier partnered with pals J.D. Beebe and Francois Briard and set about making the websites a reality. They went live in October, promising those who signed up for a six-month premium subscription before Election Day the bonus of four free years of access if their candidate won. Harnessing the power of YouTube and Facebook to spread the word, they say they've already signed up thousands of singles who are willing to pay between $10.99 and $29.99 for access to their political compadres. (They say the terms of conditions of usage for the site did not allow them to provide the names of users.)

"We're looking at one of the most partisan eras in American politics," said Beebe, 27, who wouldn't reveal his political preferences. "Media and technology definitely play a role in that."

Perhaps that was best highlighted this election season by the political disagreements that have publicly unfolded on Twitter and Facebook. (Show of hands: Who "hid" Facebook friends because their politics were driving them crazy?) A recent survey by the matchmaking service It's Just Lunch found that 61 percent of men and 68 percent of women said, "I date people who have similar political opinions and beliefs as me."

There are already numerous sites, like jdate.com and christianmingle.com, that help match people with similar religious beliefs. Redstatedate and Bluestatedate each offers a quiz that asks for opinions on issues such as the economy and foreign policy, then gives a "political compatibility score" from 0 to 100.

In the site's terms, 100 means "being the most fervently conservative (think Michelle Bachman)" and 0 equating to "fervently liberal (think Bill Maher)."

Besides the opportunity to meet a like-minded sweetie, the two new websites also offer links to other websites that support their views. That means links to Drudge for the conservatives and Daily Kos for liberals.

"In addition to meeting someone who shares your views, you can also get your political fix," Fondrier said.

Of course, couples with differing political views can make a relationship work. The best known odd couple is Republican strategist Mary Matalin and Democratic operative James Carville. They've written a book about their relationship - All's Fair, published in 1995.

Still, their marriage is not the norm. A 2009 article in the Los Angeles Times pondered, "Dear Abby: How do Mary Matalin and James Carville stay married without homicide?" It included a transcript from the CNN program State of the Nation.

Matalin opens by noting their family life is not a democracy but a "Mom-archy." Carville responds with, "I don't have a position on anything domestically. So I just say yes, and then go on and do it. I mean it. I would say the three ingredients to successful marriage are surrender, capitulation, and retreat. . . ."

Matalin provides the final zinger, "Spoken like a true liberal. What a martyr. Faith, family, and good wine. That's how we do it."

Fondrier believes the couple approach politics as jobs, not as beliefs that define their characters.

"I would argue that their talks at the dinner table are more centered on campaign strategies and how to manage the press over the merits of taxation policy or foreign policy," he said.

Fondrier, who lives in California, and Beebe, who is based in New York, say they have different political views but are able to work together.

"We obviously respect each other and we do agree on a common vision for our company," Fondrier said.

In some ways, the creation of the sites is an inevitable consequence of a divided nation, said Kevin Arceneaux, a Temple University professor of political science.

"The political party you're a member of is more salient to people today than it was 20 years ago," he said. "It doesn't surprise me that the ultimate outcome of that in a capitalist society would be somebody setting up a shingle: 'If you're the type of person who really wants to date a Republican or a Democrat, we'll help you do that.' "