Question: Should the Democrats be BLUE or RED?

[liberalpragmatist]

The NYT had an article abt this whole "RED-BLUE" political dichotomy, and how the color scheme is now basically being formalized with us being blue and the Repubs being red. (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/08/weekinreview/08zell.html)

The article mentioned that the scheme was never formalized, and often it was the other way around. For instance, during Reagan's 1980 victory, the map was a sea of blue -- "Lake Reagan." It also mentioned that TIME magazine, which continued to have it the other way around until 2000, will switch to the reverse color-scheme this yr.

Historically, Democrats have been red. This matches the global pattern with left and center-left parties colored red (as in "the left", i.e. Communists/socialists) and the right colored blue. Of course, in multiparty systems there's more diversity: wikipedia says that the european and global color schemes are as follows:

* Conservatives/Christian Democrats: Blue
* Liberal/Center-Left: Yellow
* Socialist/Progressive: Pink
* Communist/Left-socialist: Red
* Green/Environmental: Green

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties

So, what do you say, Democrats? Is blue okay with you or should we be red? How about some other color, i.e. yellow? Personally, although it's outside the global norm, I prefer for us to be blue, b/c it connates a placid, peaceful, serene quality, as opposed to hard-edged, warlike red. But what do you all think?

[On the Road]

1. I Heard Red was the Color of the Incumbent Party

which is why Reagan was blue in 1980. But I think it's confusing to switch back and forth.

Red=GOP Blue=Dem has become formalized.

[bluestateguy]

2. We must be blue!

Otherwise I'd have to change my screen name!

[EstimatedProphet]

3. Who wrote that color schame? Jerry Falwell?

Please, let's NOT adopt that! Political suicide! Can you imagine the Rethug comments:

* Conservatives/Christian Democrats: TRUE Blue-loyal to the end
* Liberal/Center-Left: Yellow-COWARDS
* Socialist/Progressive: Pink"o"s
* Communist/Left-socialist: Red (self explanatory)
* Green/Environmental: Green - not really a lot they could do with that, other than make comments about envy.
A color scheme like that and the RW creeps would have a field day with it.

[liberalpragmatist]

8. Nobody's suggesting we adopt THAT

The point is that's generally the global color scheme of the political spectrum. The United States has never had a multiparty system, so relax. We wouldn't have those 5 colors in a million years.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. I'm a multi-colored Green

since my interest extends beyond just the environment. ;)

[Maeve]

5. Well, the Repubs are keeping the budget in the red

And I like the peace/war dichotomy.

[knight_of_the_star]

6. Blue is good

Blue is the colour in literature that is always associated with the good guys anyway, so I think I like that association.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

7. For the rest of the world, red is left, blue is right.

But then, for the rest of the world football is soccer, so I don't suppose it matters that much!

[liberalpragmatist]

11. Right - Germany's a great example

They have 4 major parties - 2 blocks, led by 2 big parties, and 2 smaller ones.

* Christian Democrats (Center-Right): blue
* Free Democrats (Liberal): yellow
* Social Democrats/Socialists (Left/Center-left): red
* Greens (Left-liberal): green

The two blocs are the red-green coalition (greens + social democrats) and the blue-yellow coalition (christian democrats + free democrats)

[Kellanved]

14. not quite

The Christian Democrats are black; blue is used by both, the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats.

[fleetus]

9. I have noticed and like the trend towards blue.

Usually the devil is portrayed as red. :evilfrown:

On a subconcious level, I think blue is a good color for democrats. Generally less evil and more good seeming. But it's really just a color, right?

[glarius]

10. In Canada it's red for the Liberals and blue for the Conservatives

Always has been so far as I know....

[Minstrel Boy]

12. And orange for the socialists

It was a bad idea to have a redesign in the 1970s. ;)

[Silverhair]

13. Don't care. n/t

[Deja Q]

15. repukes are RED, because they all seem to spend that way

In the red. Reagan really kicked off that trend, with Tweedledum II* merrily following the brainless pattern.

[Kickin_Donkey]

16. I think blue is fine for us.

Frankly, I'm surprised that the corporate media did NOT give us, the Democrats, red since it would serve their propaganda objectives to paint us as "red" communists, socialists, pinkos.


On edit: typos

[scottxyz]

17. Democrat=Red, Republican=Blue, Independent=Green

For some reason that's the color scheme I've always had in my head.

I guess because the Commies were always red ("Better dead than red") and the Republicans always thought they were blue-bloods - and the Independents always cared more about the environment.

I remember once I went to Puerto Rico years ago and it was election day (or maybe a referendum as to whether they wanted to become a state, remain a loosely-associated commonwealth, or become independent from the US) the day I arrived. Three parties were competing, and lots of people were driving around flying a blue, red, or green flag out their car window. I instinctively knew the flag I'd want to fly would be the green one. Turns out of course that was the party that wanted independence. (Also turns out they had only 5% - and the statehooders were blue a lot more, and the commonwealters were red and they won.)

I keep getting confused when they talk about "red states" and "blue states". It seemed like the Republicans had usurped a color that wasn't theirs.

Maybe they did it on purpose. In Russian, the word for "red" is "krasno" and the word for "beautiful" is "krasivo". I always thought the ruling party in the USSR picked "red" as their color because they thought it would be associated with beauty.

Red is also more of a fighting color - red meat - red-blooded Americans - and this is the image the (actually patrician, elite) Republicans always try to pretend they are. (O'Reilly wears $3,000 suits and pretends he's on the side of the little guy. The Bushes come from Connecticut and go to Yale and always run around in cowboy boots affecting a Texas Southern drawl.)

I think the Democrats should take the color red back. The Democrats are the party of the people - more socialist. The Republicans are the blue-bloods. The Bushes are related to the Windsors - the Bushes think they're ENTITLED to run the country.

[laruemtt]

18. we should be lavendar or violet -

a higher vibration in the prism, isn't it?

[Red Louisiana]

19. Communist

Being a Communist, I'd hope that the Republocrats would leave my color alone :)

[UrbScotty]

20. I like blue.

I'm used to the "Democratic Blue," so to speak.

Also, I am a Christian Democrat, and I take my faith rather seriously.

[iamjoy]

21. Our Color

Doesn't matter much to me, but...

during the last election, I saw all of those "red" states (that went for Bush) and it looked like our country was hemorrhaging.