If all politics is local, a block-by-block map of election results is a picture of heaven. And that's exactly my reaction to this infographic from the New York Times showing the results of Tuesday's mayoral matchup between incumbent Michael Bloomberg and challenger William C. Thompson Jr.

The interactive graphic reveals the expression of a city's politics at the most granular level I have seen (so far). The Google Maps mashup, quickly produced and elegantly rendered, does not adequately capture the three-dimensionality of New York — the high-rises blocks vs. the brownstones — but it wouldn't surprise me if there was a Sketch-Up overlay for the graphic by the time Bloomberg runs again.  

As a former resident, I found myself panning and zooming through the blocks in the my old neighborhood, scrutinizing the patterns, wondering what it all meant. My block in the East Village went for Bloomberg, but most of the surrounding blocks were in the Thompson camp. I probably could have guessed that, but why? I only knew two or three other people on my street. Heading west and south, what's the deal with the little island of dark red (80% plus Bloomberg) in the heart of Little Italy? And speaking of little islands, how did Mayor Mike manage to win Lady Liberty's vote? The unofficial tally from district encompassing Liberty Island and Governors Island was 286 to 66 in Bloomberg's favor. (Can anyone on Riker's Island still vote?)

Demographers and campaign strategists may get the biggest benefit from drilling down into this data mashup. But the great thing about visualizations like this is they open up information to anyone, telling stories that would otherwise get lost in the numbers.

Click here to see the graphic (free reg. may be required)