[Straight Vermonter]

It was explained on FR soon after the election that the incumbent party is always indicated in blue and the challenger in red. Nothing sinister in this case.

[DWSUWF]

"...It was explained on FR soon after the election that the incumbent party is always indicated in blue and the challenger in red. Nothing sinister in this case..."

Do you remember who supplied this explanation? That would interesting to follow up on, I'll have to try searching the archives for that.

Of course that still leaves the matter of whether there was a customary color used to represent each party on election maps long before FR (or, for that matter, the internet as we know it) existed.

I have a very clear recollection that the democrats (win or lose) were represented by red (at least on CBS) circa 1968.

[brityank]

I too would like to find the info on that. I recall vividly the 1968 election of Nixon against Humphrey and Wallace. It was the first election I was eligible to vote in, having gotten my citizenship in '65, and I worked in Humphrey's campaign. The networks always used red for the Democrats and Blue for the Republicans. I think that the change came for Clinton's first election; at least that is the first time I recall wondering about it.