How did Red States get to be called Red?

Question

Red used to = communist. Better dead than red. Why would Republicans want this color associated with their party?

I've got some interesting answers, thanks. Birdsnakecat was shocked Republicans went along with the color choice of the networks, I was too. And it just came out of the blue, so to speak.

Answer 1

So you can see us better!!!! Because the DimocRAT party are always crying and whiney like little babies,
that is why they are always blue!!!!

Answer 2

Red states are called red for an arbitrary random reason. the red/blue dichotomy really caught on during the 2004 presidential race when the news channels colored the Republican states Red, and the Democrat states blue....randomly, for no reason at all.

I'd venture a guess and just say it comes from "Hey, Republican has R in it! Like Red! Red's the color of Republicans!"

Or we could all venture a guess together and say it has something to do with the neck color of people in those states.

=)

I think what's most interesting about the dichotomy isn't the genealogy of the phrasing, but rather the fact that it got so damn popular.

The reason for Red/Blue? Easy to say, easy to distinguish. That there's the American Politics of the Marketing Era.

Answer 3

Very perceptive of you. Good thinking.

I was shocked too, when it happened! The Blue States should be the Communist Red States.

I "think" the News Media did that at election time to screw around the Republicans, and to protect the Democrats. Because everyone knows that the Democrats were Pinkos, anyway. And that's close to Commies.

The Republicans didn't want it that way; the News Media just got together and did it that way.

Answer 4

I would guess it's because a majority of the people who live there are opposed to gun control. Red is, after all, the color of blood.

Then again, it could be that a lot of the hate-mongering politicians get really red in the face when they're working hard to get people riled up against gays/immigrants/stem-cell researchers/whatever.

OR, maybe the Dems called dibs on blue first, and the only other two patriotic color choices were red and white. White's kind of bland, so they chose red. I guess that leaves white for the Libertarians. And the Green Party can have . . .let's see . . . .

Answer 5

Red's also a hate color. A color that people are supposed to get pissed at.

Romans, Nazis, and Communists all used that color. I have NO idea why Republicans (who are foolish at times) would want to use THAT color.

[NOTE] This is when red's used alone. Not when used with white and blue on the U.S. flag.

Answer 6

Red is also an American color.

The maps that networks use for showing who won what states are Red, White and Blue -- with Red for Republicans, Whit for Undecided and Blue for Democrats.

Answer 7

Well, you got your 3 flag colors. Red, white and blue. Now, White and blue don't contrast very well, now do they?

Answer 8

it dates back to the cold war. since commies are far left, congress did't want it to be unfair for democrats. so since republicans are on the other side of the aisle, they called them red.

Answer 9

The blue states are blue because they vote for Liberals!!!

Answer 10

They didn't, they used to be blue but the Dems cried and said they wanted to be blue for a change. Actually it was by sheer accident: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17079-2004Nov1.html