[Prime Choice]

This is what had me thumping the table--blue has ALWAYS been the traditional color of conservatism. How we let the media give us "red states" when red is the color of SOCIALISM is beyond me. I remember when GOP states were colored blue by the networks on election night, does anyone else remember?

You're not the only one who recalls that. I too was stumped when they started labelling GOP states as red. All the time I grew up, they were always blue.

[AntiGuv]

It's because of a twist of fate..

When the networks began televising election results, the convention was settled on that blue would represent the incumbent party and red would represent the opposition party. Between 1972 and 1992 the Dems got blue for only one election - Pres. Carter in 1980. Then, when Clinton was the incumbent he got blue for 1996 and Gore inherited it in 2000. Now, after four years of punditry on the Red States v Blue States in that razor-thin election, it seems the GOP is stuck with red and the Dems have coopted blue.

We'll see if it switches back this year but I'd bet money the colors are now here to stay..

[arthurus]

Recoloring the sates was a deliberate attempt to disassociate the color red from the left so thar "red" might cease to be shorthand for socialist-commie-stalinist-tyrant-immoral-etc.

[agrarianlady]

You're not the only one who recalls that. I too was stumped when they started labelling GOP states as red. All the time I grew up, they were always blue

It makes me look twice at the map, that's for sure.

But there aren't many acceptable colors for the other side, are there?

If we colored them yellow, well, that's pretty obvious.
Green, well, that's kind of like Kermit the Frog and his environmentalist buddies
Black and White are unacceptable for either party, I'm sure
Purple? Nope. Think of what that represents.
Orange? Maybe. The only association it brings to mind are the Protestants in Ireland.