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The US Republican Party's official color is Red yet in general political circles that color has been used by Socialist groups and movements. Since the party publicly condemns Socialism why would they brand with Red?

Brythan
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Connor Lonergan
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2 Answers2

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As Kevin Drum found (from the Washington Monthly), from 1976 to 2004, the incumbent party's coloring alternated. As it happened, from 1976 through 1996, this meant that the Republicans were the blue party five of six times (1988 was the exception). But no one particularly noticed.

In 2000 and 2004, the Republicans were the red party by that system. And in 2000, it mattered (Kevin Drum from another Washington Monthly article). Because in 2000, the race was close enough that the contested election in Florida mattered. So they spent weeks showing the states broken down under the 2000 color scheme. And because the challenger in 2000 (the Republicans) were the incumbents in 2004, they had the same color scheme even though it alternated. Then 2008 arrived and everyone was accustomed to Republicans being red, so it stuck even though it was the Democrats' turn.

It might not have stuck if it were not that red communism collapsed in the early 1990s. So thinking about red being a communist color was not particularly topical in any of 2000, 2004, or 2008. Bernie Sanders started a revival of socialism in 2016, which continued in 2018. In that context, it seems more important now (in 2019) than it did in 2008 or 2012.

TL;DR: Republicans did not choose red; it was chosen by a historical accident.

Brythan
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    I wouldn't say that the Red = Communism was not topical in the 90s. The USSR collapsed in 1992, just 8 years before the party colors solidified. Phrases like "Commie Pinko" or "Better Dead than Red" were still said often, and I do recall Obama (the only Post Soviet Union Democrat to be elected President... Clinton being elected a month before the USSR fell had to struggle with cold war elections) was called a Pinko and a Red socialist more than a few times.+ – hszmv Mar 11 '19 at 12:31
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  • I imagine that the color wasn't associated with Communism when used in this light because neither party was remotely socialist prior to 2000, and the two colors are in the Flag, so have a U.S. Association... White is also seen as the balancing color or neutral color in political color schemes, which is why it wasn't used. Just to verify this source, I do recall seeing a clip of news coverage of Election 1984 as the ballots came in, showing states called for Reagan (Incumbent) in Blue. In a similar story, the Elephant and Donkey were not chosen, but insults that were appropriated.
    • – hszmv Mar 11 '19 at 12:35
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    I appreciate the reference, which too few answers provide as well as this one. However, I'm old enough that I remember it happening vividly, so it seems weird to read that some specific person "found" this like uncovered arcana hidden away in a cave for eons. – T.E.D. Mar 11 '19 at 14:57
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    It's particularly weird now hearing pundits talk about states historically being "reliably red" or "reliably blue" since those color associations are not historical. – jeffronicus Mar 11 '19 at 15:00
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    What do you mean by "the incumbent party's coloring alternated?" This answer seems to be implying that, before 2000, the incumbent party's color was always blue, but that's the opposite of it alternating. – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft Mar 11 '19 at 17:51
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    @BlueRaja-DannyPflughoeft In 1976, the incumbents were blue; in 1980, red; in 1984, blue; etc. The identity of the incumbent party, however, changed independently of that alternating cycle. – chepner Mar 11 '19 at 18:55
  • @chepner: That's... very strange. What was behind that cycle? – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft Mar 11 '19 at 19:00
  • Probably an attempt at not associating a particular color with either party. – chepner Mar 11 '19 at 19:03
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    @chepner: I remember finding it irksome in 1992 that the broadcast networks used shades or red and blue whose luminance values were about equal, making the election maps useless for people watching on black and white sets. – supercat Mar 11 '19 at 21:05
  • @jeffronicus - Most of the "history" being drawn upon to make that assessment doesn't go back much further than 2000 either though. – T.E.D. Mar 11 '19 at 21:08
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    @hszmv "Red = Communism was not topical in the 90s". Um, say what? Communism was highly topical in the 1990s, exactly because of the fall of the Soviet Union, and communism has always been associated with red. – David Richerby Mar 11 '19 at 23:17
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    A missing bit of background is the choice of red and blue for the parties in the first place allows you to make an entire map (including outlines and numerical figures) using red, white, and blue. – hobbs Mar 11 '19 at 23:23
  • Interesting that the "incumbent party alternates colors" pattern coincides exactly with the U.S.'s two-term limit (for individual presidents, which recently has lined up with parties as well). As a result, the winners of the elections listed in that WM article were: Carter (R), Reagan (B), Reagan (B), Bush (R), Clinton (R), Clinton (R), Bush (R), Bush (R). If the pattern had continued, we'd have seen Obama (R), Obama (R), Trump (R); but since the Republicans got a lock on red at that point [insert color-psychology conspiracy theory here], we saw Obama (B), Obama (B), Trump (R) instead. – Quuxplusone Mar 12 '19 at 19:29
  • It's worth noting that, not only is red commonly used in other countries for left-wing parties, blue is often the colour of choice for right-wing parties. See the Labour and Conservative parties in Britain, for example. – Ross Thompson Mar 13 '19 at 15:05