# Why is red the color of republicans and blue the color of democrats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2008, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232 "2008-10-30T10:17:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/21 "2008-10-30T16:08:55Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > It’s pretty obvious why it has stuck. The protracted 2000 election dispute and subsequent use of “red” and “blue” in the media kept confirming the usage. It was a snowball effect. Evidently we have exhausted the General Questions aspects of this discussion and are well into the realm of personal opinions. Personally, I associate rednecks with red and perceive of the Confederate Navy Jack, which is much more popular among Republicans than Democrats, as a predominanty red flag. I think my view is shared by many Yankees, maybe I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/22 "2008-10-30T16:22:06Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > The parties themselves have not adopted blue and red as their official colors. I would be surprised if they did, because it would leave them open to charges of being unpatriotic. The national colors – red, white, and blue – are particularly important and evocative in American society and culture. A major political party is unlikely to choose anything else but **red, white, _and_ blue** as their official colors. Not officially, of course. But most yard signs and other candidate signs tend to follow that color scheme, even at the local level. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/23 "2008-10-30T16:50:01Z")
I seem to remember the whole thing starting with a USA Today map showing the electoral votes in each state won by the candidate in the red and blue colors. The map was so striking it just took off from there. ---
**Author:** ![staballoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@staballoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/staballoy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/24 "2008-10-30T18:09:29Z")
Identifying Republicans with red and Democrats with blue is an attempt by the sympathetic media to divert attention from the Democratic party’s left-leaning tendencies, red being the favored color of communism. This is nothing new. During the collapse of the Soviet Union, the press consistently referred to Russian democratic reformers as left-wing, while calling old-guard communists “right-wing” or “conservative.” This was a clumsy backhanded attempt to mischaracterize American conservatives, who have been staunchly anti-communist while Democrats sought to emulate, appease, enrich, and accommodate socialist and communist organizations (labor unions) and regimes. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/25 "2008-10-30T18:21:33Z")
> [@staballoy](#): > > Identifying Republicans with red and Democrats with blue is an attempt by the sympathetic media to divert attention from the Democratic party’s left-leaning tendencies, red being the favored color of communism. This is nothing new. During the collapse of the Soviet Union, the press consistently referred to Russian democratic reformers as left-wing, while calling old-guard communists “right-wing” or “conservative.” This was a clumsy backhanded attempt to mischaracterize American conservatives, who have been staunchly anti-communist while Democrats sought to emulate, appease, enrich, and accommodate socialist and communist organizations (labor unions) and regimes. Are you joking or serious? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/26 "2008-10-30T18:21:47Z")
> [@Yeah](#): > > Evidently we have exhausted the General Questions aspects of this discussion and are well into the realm of personal opinions. Personally, I associate rednecks with red and perceive of the Confederate Navy Jack, which is much more popular among Republicans than Democrats, as a predominanty red flag. I think my view is shared by many Yankees, maybe I’m wrong. I think you’re on your own here. Do you have any evidence that anyone else out there shares your opinion? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/27 "2008-10-30T18:22:13Z")
> [@staballoy](#): > > Identifying Republicans with red and Democrats with blue is an attempt by the sympathetic media to divert attention from the Democratic party’s left-leaning tendencies, red being the favored color of communism. This is nothing new… [Not true](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states). Coloring states on a large map during presidential elections started in 1904 in print. The colors then were yellow and blue. In 1976, a large electronic map at NBC was used with red used for Carter the Democrat and blue for Ford the Republican. Colors switched around, different networks using different schemes fairly randomly until 2000. Tim Russert first used the “Red State / Blue State” terms and it stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/28 "2008-10-30T18:22:20Z")
I hope this is a whoosh, because it’s a patently ridiculous statement that flatly contradicts all the evidence. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/29 "2008-10-30T18:39:18Z")
At this [http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004\_11/005157.php](http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_11/005157.php) Kevin Drum says that in 1976, Ford was blue and Carter was red. That since then, the color of the incumbent party has alternated every four years. The red for republican and blue for democrat became entrenched in 2000. I would like to see some more evidence for this, however. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/30 "2008-10-30T18:59:43Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > The title is pretty selfexplanatory, but I ask this because it seems to be the reverse in the rest of the world. One exception is Paraguay’s Partida Colorado (“Red Party”), which is blisteringly right-wing. It seems to me that calling Democrats “Reds” has an inflammatory connotation, while calling Republicans “red” doesn’t evoke anything particularly negative. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/31 "2008-10-30T19:38:33Z")
> [@Yeah](#): > > I think the reason the current use of red and blue has stuck is that the blue states tend to be in the north which was blue (as in blue versus gray) during the War of Northern Agression (or U.S. Civil War) and the red states tend to be in the south which had gray military uniforms but flew a flag that was predominantly red (see “Confederate Flag”). This has already been shown to be false, but there’s one more bit to it – until recently, the South was predominantly Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/32 "2008-10-30T21:36:36Z")
Better Dead Than Red Somebody had to say it… ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/33 "2008-10-30T22:00:59Z")
I used to play an excellent game called President Elect on the Atari ST, years and years ago. Republicans were, IIRC, always blue, Democrats red. Here’s a screenshot to prove it: > **[Screenshot of President Elect: 1988 Edition (Atari ST, 1987) - MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/game/14820/president-elect-1988-edition/screenshots/atari-st/267566/)** > > Which states will vote for you? ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/34 "2008-10-31T01:40:25Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > I cannot claim to know the ‘color codings’ of political parties in all countries, but in Europe (certainly in the Netherlands) red is associated with left-wing parties and blue is the color for right-wing parties (in a [mostly] non-rasist way). Is this because the parties in the Netherlands themselves have associated colours? In NZ (where I’ll add as an aside we’re heading to the polls in a week – and even here the national elections appear to have been overshadowed by the weeping, wailing, and chest-beating of the US elections), all of the parties have associated colours that they use on their billboards and election material, and supporters wear suitable coloured rosettes. Red is indeed the colour of the (very slightly left of center) Labour party, while blue is used by the (very slightly right of center) National party. The Greens use, well, duh, green, NZ First is black, United is purple, ACT a light blue, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/35 "2008-10-31T01:55:05Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think it all started in 2000, with the extremely close election. It’s random, but it’s stuck. According to Wikipedia, it does go back to 2000. Just by chance, all the major networks used these colors in the way described, and it stuck. Prior to that, the concept of symbolic colors for political parties in the U.S. was pretty much unheard of. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/36 "2008-10-31T01:58:12Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > the Democrats would be on the extreme right in many European countries I’d be careful with statements like this, since the term ‘extreme right’ conjures up neo-Nazis, xenophobes, and so on. In America, we would think additionally of the KKK. To call either of the two dominant parties ‘extreme right’ is tantamount to a slur. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/37 "2008-10-31T01:58:15Z")
Because liberalism is in our [veins!](http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01883/introtocircman.gif) And conservitivism is the plaque that runs in our [arteries.](http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01883/introtocircman.gif) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/38 "2008-10-31T01:59:31Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I’d be careful with statements like this, since the term ‘extreme right’ takes in the ilk of neo-Nazis, racism, and so on. It’s pretty close to a slur. Kinda like it is here! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/39 "2008-10-31T04:37:33Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Kinda like it is here! 😉 I’m in the U.S. too…😕 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232/40 "2008-10-31T14:06:45Z")
I do find it humorous / ironic that Republicans have so thoroughly embraced being “red”, when, a generation ago, such a moniker (and its association with Communism) would have caused them to break out in hives. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-red-the-color-of-republicans-and-blue-the-color-of-democrats/470232.md?page=3)