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Am I the only one who thinks the Red/Blue scheme is backwards? I hate the whole idea from the start, because it's inherently divisive, but in most parts of the world, red is associated with the political left (labor, social causes, Canada's "liberal reds") and blue with the right (blue blood, etc). How did we ever get it mixed up from the way everyone else does it? Every time I hear someone talk about Red and Blue states, I have to stop and remind myself which is which, because it seems totally counterintuitive.
Am I the only one who thinks the Red/Blue scheme is backwards? I hate the whole idea from the start, because it's inherently divisive, but in most parts of the world, red is associated with the political left (labor, social causes, Canada's "liberal reds") and blue with the right (blue blood, etc). How did we ever get it mixed up from the way everyone else does it? Every time I hear someone talk about Red and Blue states, I have to stop and remind myself which is which, because it seems totally counterintuitive.
Surely, it can't be just me.
One cartographer, working at the time for ESRI (the preeminent GIS mapping software company) made the fateful decision to symbolize that map, by color, the day after the election. There was no rhyme or reason to it. The county-wide map quickly became a national sensation. But the genesis of it was one mapper, who was able to put the election returns into one Excel spreadsheet, then do a 'spatial join' appending the county name column from the Excel table onto the existing county data base. That's precisely how that map was born.
Actually, to be really technical about it, there are only a couple of blue or red states in the US. The rest are all considered swing states. I think the 'permanent' blue states are California, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. The primary red states are Utah, Minnesota, Georgia, Indiana, and Alabama. The rest fall in line with one of the listed states.
The whole Red, Blue, and Purple thing is obsolete, because really the political spectrum is not two sided, but has 4 points. Left is Liberal or "Blue" by American terms, Right is Conservative or "Red" by American terms. Down is Libertarian, and up is Statist (no color association except maybe white for independent).
Am I the only one who thinks the Red/Blue scheme is backwards? I hate the whole idea from the start, because it's inherently divisive, but in most parts of the world, red is associated with the political left (labor, social causes, Canada's "liberal reds") and blue with the right (blue blood, etc). How did we ever get it mixed up from the way everyone else does it? Every time I hear someone talk about Red and Blue states, I have to stop and remind myself which is which, because it seems totally counterintuitive.
Surely, it can't be just me.
You are 100% correct. I use the colors properly in my conversations.
[quote=Frankie117;3924719]Actually, to be really technical about it, there are only a couple of blue or red states in the US. The rest are all considered swing states. I think the 'permanent' blue states are California, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. The primary red states are Utah, Minnesota, Georgia, Indiana, and Alabama. The rest fall in line with one of the listed states.
[quote]
Hate to nitpick, but can't resist. Indiana and Pennsylvania are quintessential swing states. Minnesota hasn't voted "red" since Reagan. About a month ago I saw a poll for New York that had McCain beating Obama and Clinton. This year all expectations should be thrown out the window.
But I always wondered why Dems weren't red too. I dunno.
Actually, to be really technical about it, there are only a couple of blue or red states in the US. The rest are all considered swing states. I think the 'permanent' blue states are California, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. The primary red states are Utah, Minnesota, Georgia, Indiana, and Alabama. The rest fall in line with one of the listed states.
Hate to nitpick, but can't resist. Indiana and Pennsylvania are quintessential swing states. Minnesota hasn't voted "red" since Reagan. About a month ago I saw a poll for New York that had McCain beating Obama and Clinton. This year all expectations should be thrown out the window.
But I always wondered why Dems weren't red too. I dunno.
Um, yeah. Minnesota has gone the longest without voting for a Republican for president. It was the only state to go for Mondale in 1984. It didn't vote for Reagan in 1980, either. In that sense, it's "bluer" (or "redder", if you insist) than any state you listed as permanent Dem states. (In fact, GA went to Carter in 1980 as well. All the "permanent" dem states you mentioned voted for Reagan both times.)
Last edited by UnderTheLiveOaks; 05-30-2008 at 07:53 AM..
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