Good luck with the map project.
I remember in Bush v. Gore the MSM stated that red was traditionally used for the challenger and blue for the incumbent.
The colors should have been reversed in this election but I imagine the MSM didn't want Kerry shown in his true colors.
The tradition of using red for the challenger and blue for the incumbent (or party thereof) goes back awhile, but 2000 is the first time I recall people referring to "red states" and "blue states". Once that terminology came in, keeping with the old tradition would have confused things since many states that were "solid red" in 2000 would become blue and vice versa.