I do remember as a kid, there was an expression: "Better dead than red." My understanding of the meaning was that the "red" here was equal to being a communist, like the name of "Red China" with its red flag's background. Later in life, I remember someone telling me that "blue is the primary marketing color" which also made sense to me. And on the status lights on machines which we sell for use in Europe, the only use of a red light is to indicate danger or trouble.

The democrats are not all dummies, and certainly their ring leaders aren't. I think the decision to take the blue color for themselves was a conscious decision, and probably choosing the only "good" one available from red, white, and blue.

Obviously if the Republicans chose to call themselves the "white states", that wouldn't work. That leaves "red" which is exactly what the democrats wanted: ironic falsehood.

"The red menace." subtle, almost subliminal propaganda?

exactly -- it's straight out of Alinsky or Cloward and Piven --
cause a mess, and then offer to clean it up ... with
fascism. -- j

we should ask Rush to introduce a substitute name --
the Autocrat Party. -- j

Democrats call their party "Democratic" but some Republicans, presumably suggesting that those people favor oligarchy instead, call it the "Democrat Party." In other words, instead of a party of democratic principles, it's a party full of Democrats. Democrats hate that name, and believe (possibly correctly) that Rush Limbaugh invented it.

Yes, the red flag shows the color of the blood that will be shed in the communist revolution. It's now not popular to be publicly Red, so they are green. I am absolutely certain that handing the Republicans the color red was deliberate.

Actually, "pink" or "pinko" referred to American leftists who sympathized with the Communists without carrying their Party cards.

if I go looking at old campaign posters, you can't tell. IT's like they are a blend of red and blue. It does seem like this stemmed out of the 2000 election. and republicans seemed ok with it. There are plenty of pundit websites which embrace the association. I was reading an Ayn Rand essay where she referred to communists as "Pinks." or "pink-o" that's not red, so what is it referencing?

Yes. Red for Communism; blue for patriotism. I can't think why they switched colors.

YES. Definitely a color switch from some time back. RED was always left/commie. BLUE was conservative. Now when the purveyors of Orwellian Newspeak apply color to a State, it is the opposite. Don't know if the switch-er-roo was deliberate, but here it is. Makes one wonder when our great grandchildren pick up a bit of historic text referring to Stalin and Mao as "reds", the term "Republican" will slip into their consciousness.

Yes. There's a clearer divide between cities and the countryside. It's like asking if a state is urban or rural.

"In my backward state of AR the voting machines had Democratic Party for the democrats. I made a comment about this and of course the older folks said vote. So I did making sure it was not democrat."
Apologies, but I am not sure I understand this statement. Can you re-phrase for me?

Most Republican states are sort of mauve. They are right of center, but with left bleeding over the borderline.

I usually read what yall write on subjects that interests me. You are missing the big picture. I have wrote about this before and no one seems to care. Not only has the colors changed, the language also. Ex: Democrats are a party and Democratic is a process of voting. Listen next time at the announcers at all channels. In my backward state of AR the voting machines had Democratic Party for the democrats. I made a comment about this and of course the older folks said vote. So I did making sure it was not democrat. I warn you they are brain washing the youth with this and someday it will illegal to vote for anyone else 1984.

I thought so, no wonder I am so confused about red and blue states. I guess the left leaning progressives wanted to shed the Red, so they redefined the argument.

Yes -- I remember this as well. When 'the powers that be' started talking about the red and blue states, I looked at the map and said "hey wait, it used to be the other way around." Moreover, as others have noted, the red color really goes hand in glove with the commies (your modern liberals and progressives). My thought is that the powers that be are deliberately mixing things up so that up is down, down is up, and we have no real sense of direction. These actions are designed to essentially reduce an individual's confidence in objectivity (my 2 cents).

Same when this 67-year-old dino was a kid.

And I would like to add that the media must have opined that the color red made secret socialists look too Commie for the gradual brainwashing of the general public.
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In the second half of the 18th century, NY, IL, OH, and MI were Republican-dominated. California elected Ronald Reagan to be its governor. Of course, what was Republican in the late 18th century was much closer to what Gulchers would prefer - a minimalist government. Not coincidentally that was when America grew far faster than any other time in its history.

Yes I do remember that.

I was always of the opinion that it was changed when the media realized that using red for the liberals violated their unwritten, no truth in advertising policy.

I always thought it was backwards. Red is supposed to be associated with the far left, and blue with the far right. So if there are no bona fide communist are socialists running, the Democrats should be red.