to purple (vi)

[Benjamin Barrett]

Dictionaries have this as a verb, and the ADS archives have citations
of purple states (a mix of red and blue politics). (Archive message
items 048770, 044515, 044478, 044476, 044092).

This week's issue of the Stranger (Oct. 14) has the twain combined:

She's running in Washington's 8th District, a fast-purpling "swing
district" on the Eastside that hasn't yet swung once, despite repeated
predictions that this, finally, will be the year its congressional
seat falls into Democratic hands. (by Eli Sanders http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=696772)

What makes this doubly curious is that "swing district" is the part in
quotes.

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Other cites on the Web for "purpling states" going back to 19 December
2007:

An Iowa caucus does not an election make, and there is a lot going on
'out there' around the red and blue, now purpling, states. (by
Margaret, 9 January 2008, http://roxies-world.blogspot.com/2008/01/morning-after.html)

And, as I mentioned, he nails more purpling states and by much more
solid margins than she does. (by Sarah, 8 March 2008, http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_03/013282.php)

Hillary leaves the red and purpling states out of play, just as they
were in 2000 and 2004. (by djdevvydev, 1 January 2008, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/1/112349/1037/615/428561)
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I think the following has the same meaning as above:

i don't care about state colorings, and there would be no point to
purpling states (which just has to many references to the gay agenda)
because the colorings are just a reference for how the states tend to
vote. (by Simon, 19 December 2007, http://brocku.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=7406420086&topic=13177)
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Other citations can be found, probably earlier, with searches on
purple Democrats, etc., but I need to get back to work.

A vt citation would be great. Something like X's stance on Y purpled
the hell outta that state...BB

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