# Will the networks break with the blue vs. red state standard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985 "2008-10-22T01:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**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 22, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/21 "2008-10-22T15:01:04Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > None of this is any different to the situation in other countries. However, many parties have long-standing associations with a particular colour, perhaps the most fundamental part of brand images possible. America somehow sidestepped this. It would have been viewed as anti-patriotic for a mainstream political party to seek association with any color combination that varied from the national colors of red, white, and blue. Even now, the Republican and Democratic parties refrain from officially adopting red and blue as their party colors. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/22 "2008-10-22T15:07:24Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > None of this is any different to the situation in other countries. However, many parties have long-standing associations with a particular colour, perhaps the most fundamental part of brand images possible. America somehow sidestepped this. Probably because of the decentralized nature of the parties and campaigns, with state parties and candidates designing and printing their own material. ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/23 "2008-10-22T15:55:23Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Probably because of the decentralized nature of the parties and campaigns, with state parties and candidates designing and printing their own material. Keeping with this, most McCain/Palin signs I’ve seen have been blue, while Obama’s material is usually highlighted by a big red O. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/24 "2008-10-22T17:01:54Z")
> [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](#): > > Keeping with this, most McCain/Palin signs I’ve seen have been blue, while Obama’s material is usually highlighted by a big red O. Really? Almost every McCain|McCain/Palin sign I’ve seen has been gold on black. **chacoguy** : I was wondering the same thing myself last night. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/25 "2008-10-22T17:08:24Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > None of this is any different to the situation in other countries. However, many parties have long-standing associations with a particular colour, perhaps the most fundamental part of brand images possible. America somehow sidestepped this. In America the Democratic and Republican brands are traditionally associated with animals (donkeys and elephants, respectively), rather than colors. Ed ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/26 "2008-10-22T18:42:12Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > I noticed today that Gallup is using [yellow and green](http://www.gallup.com/poll/election2008.aspx) in their presidential polls. At first I was confused, because I’m so used to seeing the red and blue. But once I figured it out, I found it restful. I also like the fact that it gets us away from all of that red state/blue state rhetoric. But then you’d get yellow/green rhetoric. What I find bizarre is how anyone could think such a superficial change makes any real difference. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/27 "2008-10-22T18:47:24Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > But then you’d get yellow/green rhetoric. It’s evidence of a massive conspiracy by the Oakland As and the Green Bay Packers … ---
**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 22, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/28 "2008-10-22T19:03:09Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > It’s evidence of a massive conspiracy by the Oakland As and the Green Bay Packers … And the Wright State Raiders – [http://wsuraiders.cstv.com/](http://wsuraiders.cstv.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Soggy\_Biscuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Soggy\_Biscuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soggy_Biscuit)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/29 "2008-10-22T19:42:47Z")
I wonder about how the emotional associations to the colors red and blue may have led to their being associated with parties instead of incumbent/challenger. Red seems like an angrier color than blue to me, and I suspect with a lot of people. Red also has associations with evil in our culture - not universally, but hell, demons, and monsters in general seem to be colored red a lot more often than blue. Red is the color of communism, and though the Democratic party may be slightly closer to communism than the Republicans when it comes to fiscal ideology, Republicans do seem associated with a more obtrusive police state and government oppression of dissenting opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/30 "2008-10-22T20:08:30Z")
> [@Soggy\_Biscuit](#): > > I wonder about how the emotional associations to the colors red and blue may have led to their being associated with parties instead of incumbent/challenger. Red seems like an angrier color than blue to me, and I suspect with a lot of people. Red also has associations with evil in our culture - not universally, but hell, demons, and monsters in general seem to be colored red a lot more often than blue. Red is the color of communism, and though the Democratic party may be slightly closer to communism than the Republicans when it comes to fiscal ideology, Republicans do seem associated with a more obtrusive police state and government oppression of dissenting opinions. Or maybe Americans tend to identify a red/blue pairing more with the American flag than with anger, evil or communism. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/31 "2008-10-22T20:24:30Z")
I just wish local guy [Hal Jordan](http://www.voteforjordan.com/) would use a nice emerald green in his signs. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/32 "2008-10-22T20:25:44Z")
I don’t know how accurate this is, but Kevin Drum says the incumbent party alternated colors every four years. [http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004\_11/005157.php](http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_11/005157.php) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/33 "2008-10-22T20:31:50Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > In America the Democratic and Republican brands are traditionally associated with animals (donkeys and elephants, respectively), rather than colors. They’re not mutually exclusive. Communism, and by descent socialism and a lot of left-leaning parties today, had/have associations both with the colour red and with various symbols. > [@acsenray](#): > > It would have been viewed as anti-patriotic for a mainstream political party to seek association with any color combination that varied from the national colors of red, white, and blue. Even now, the Republican and Democratic parties refrain from officially adopting red and blue as their party colors. This makes a lot more sense. I suppose the use of red vs. blue inevitably results in an American-coloured map of some kind, every time. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/34 "2008-10-22T20:49:06Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I suppose the use of red vs. blue inevitably results in an American-coloured map of some kind, every time. You should have seen the election coverage back in the black-and-white TV days. All that talk about _light-gray_ states vs. _dark-gray_ states really divided the country. ---
**Author:** ![puppygod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@puppygod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puppygod)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/35 "2008-10-22T20:51:09Z")
Is it just coincidence, or Red/Blue color scheme used in voting polls is inspired by wargaming standard? In military simulations it’s traditional to depict one side (usually defenders) as Blue, and other (invaders) as Red. It’s very old standard - established in Germany somewhere in mid-1800s (don’t remember exactly, 1848 maybe?). ---
**Author:** ![DoubleJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DoubleJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoubleJ)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/36 "2008-10-22T20:52:35Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I just wish local guy [Hal Jordan](http://www.voteforjordan.com/) would use a nice emerald green in his signs. Oh man, that would be just perfect. Any chance of getting the guy an endorsement from Abin Sur? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/37 "2008-10-23T00:54:36Z")
> [@DoubleJ](#): > > Oh man, that would be just perfect. Any chance of getting the guy an endorsement from Abin Sur? I doubt it. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of politcian to cozy up to, you know, _colored people_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985/38 "2008-10-23T03:27:39Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Really? Almost every McCain|McCain/Palin sign I’ve seen has been gold on black. It’s a dark blue, but it’s blue. [Here’s](http://shopmccain.com/catalog/images/192.gif) the official website’s image. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-networks-break-with-the-blue-vs-red-state-standard/468985.md?page=1)